All the guards retreated by five hundred meters, increasing the security parameter while also giving Gabriel privacy. Although they were curious about what Gabriel was going to do there, none of them disobeyed the commands!

Gabriel stayed at the iron gates of the majestic garden, making sure that everyone had left. It was only after he made sure that everyone had left, he entered the garden of legacy. He didn't even open the door and simply jumped over the doors.

After Gabriel entered the garden, he raised his right hand and cast a barrier all around the garden, ensuring no one could see what was happening there.

From the distance, the guards couldn't see the barrier but even if they could, they wouldn't have guessed that it was cast by Gabriel and not by a treasure.

Gabriel brought out the four Heavenly Stones from the Book of Destiny and flew high in the sky. His main focus was on the center of the garden. Based on the center at the reference and the direction of the moon, he selected four points in four different edges of the garden.

undefinedHe made sure that the direction and all the points that he selected were similar to the arrangement of the four stone pillars and the stone slab in the middle at the tomb.

He flew on one of the edges and placed a Heavenly Stone there before moving to a different edge and found the same. One after another, he did the same at four points.

He used all four stones before flying up again to confirm that there was nothing wrong.

After confirming everything, he still remained in the sky to see if something was going to change.

...

The night was silent. Even the sound of the wind couldn't be heard. Unfortunately, other than the winds abruptly stopping, nothing strange happened! There was no change in the garden. Everything looked exactly like before.

"This is strange. Did I guess wrong?" Gabriel wondered, slightly confused. "Or are the stones just not enough?"

"Even if the stones aren't enough, there should still be some movement if the formation was correct. Is the positioning wrong? Or did I understand everything wrong?"

"No, I can't give up after coming this far. If it's not about the missing stones and the positioning isn't wrong, then what's wrong should be that I'm still missing something... But what?"

Gabriel rubbed his chin, trying to visualize the tomb in place of the garden.

"The four stones are the four pillars. That's right. Then what?" He stopped focusing on the stones and instead turned his attention to the centre.

"The Stone Slab? Is it what I'm missing? Something that can take the place of the stone slab? The four pillars were a source of energy so the four Heavenly Stones can take their place. But the stone slab is different. I thought the garden center would act as the stone slab. Is that where I'm wrong?"

After wondering for some time, Gabriel landed near the center of the beautiful garden.

"The Stone Slab was the core. And it wasn't just the source of energy but something that had a world of its own inside. Is there really something that can take its place in this garden?"

Gabriel walked around the garden, thinking heavily. He went through all his Numens to see if there was something that could take the place of the stone slab in this formation but nothing appeared suitable.

At the same time, the buzzing of his ring of Necromancy also kept troubling him.

"I know! I know you want me to get what's in this garden, but at least give me time to think about how to get it!" Gabriel exclaimed, slightly frustrated at the constant buzzing in his hand.

"A stone slab with a world of its own... Something that can contain infinite Treasures like the Heavenly Stones inside... Wait... It's..." His eyes that were filled with trouble suddenly lit up as he thought of something!

"In this world, if there's a treasure that can contain a Heavenly Stone inside, isn't that the Holy Grimoires? I have two of them already! However, this place is related to Karyk! If I use the Grimoire of Necromancy as the core, would it work?"

After thinking for a little longer, he decided to give it a try. He called out his Grimoire of Necromancy.

The beautiful black ring that was constantly buzzing transformed into the Forbidden Book of Necromancy!

Gabriel grabbed the Grimoire and walked to the center of the garden. He placed the book on the ground exactly according to the formation and flew high in the sky so that he could see the entire garden property to see the changes!

The Holy Grimoire of Necromancy was placed on the ground, but it floated a few inches above the ground on its own! All the Heavenly Stones also flew higher by a few inches.

A beautiful threat of light shot out from the Heavenly Stones, joining up with the other Heavenly Stones!

Before long, a beautiful square could be seen from the sky, made purely of the threat of Heavenly Energy. After all the Heavenly Stones were connected with each other, all the Heavenly Stones connected with the Heavenly Grimoire in the center, transferring their energy to the Grimoire in unison!

The Grimoire didn't just take the energy! Instead, it was like a conduit that was purifying all the energy that it received from the Heavenly Stones, and amplifying only the Energy of Death before transferring it to the garden under it!

The aura of death infiltrated the Garden of Legacy where Gabriel had failed to even leave a single scratch!

Slowly, all the grass in the garden started turning black. The grass was shining in that mysterious darkness, making the scene look even more fascinating. It was as if the grass was lifeless yet had a life of its own!

Staying in that place, Gabriel felt as if it was even more soothing to his soul for some reason! It was as if his soul was getting stronger! Not just his soul but even his body was slowly getting stronger and improving each passing second under the mysterious energy! It was as if he was finally there... The place that was like his home!

"!"

Gabriel was distracted by the strange yet comfortable feeling. However, he was shocked to see a beam of energy suddenly shooting out of the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy toward the sky.

Subconsciously, Gabriel reacted fast and moved back, avoiding being hit by that beam of dark energy. He didn't know why, but he felt as if it was dangerous if he was hit by that!

The beam of dark light didn't even target him and shoot straight to the sky. It was as if a majestic tower of gods was created by that dark light that could be seen from every corner of the world! And indeed, it was noticed... By everyone... good and bad!

A bright beam of light shot through the sky! All the clouds that were in the sky were dispersed, as if they were destroyed by the towering light.

Even the barrier that was cast by Gabriel to hide everything that took place inside the garden shattered like a thin sheet of glass without even the slightest of resistance.

Gabriel had told the Knights to retreat half a kilometer to avoid anyone seeing anything out of place, but the current change couldn't be hidden from anyone! All the guards could see that the source of this towering light was at the Garden of Legacy!

They already expected something to be special about the garden with how much attention Gabriel paid to that place, but now it seemed even more extraordinary!

It would've been fine if it was just noticed by the guards, but that wasn't the case! Many citizens noticed the bright beam of light. To them, it was more as if the light had descended from the seventh heaven, instead of rising from earth!

undefinedEven the people who were inside the house were drawn out by the people who were outside. The commotion was just too difficult to ignore!

The Crown Prince and the Princess of Yann had just returned to Yann. At the moment, they were in a meeting with their father, telling him what took place at the tomb.

Unfortunately, before they could explain much, the guards of the Emperor rushed inside, informing him about the strange phenomenon outside!

In the Lumen Empire, the Head Priests of the Church of Light flew high in the sky, looking at the beam of light that was thousands of kilometers away, yet still visible!

It was their first time, seeing something like this! There was no mention of any phenomenon like that in their books either.

Not too far from them, the Head Teachers of the Academy of Elements were also high in the sky. Without Izen, the academy was weakened but they were still an influential group.

It was hard to attract people's attention in the world, but currently everyone's attention was in the same direction! The direction of Arecia!

The Holy Priest of Flames was standing outside the destroyed Church. The construction work had started again. Moreover, the Holy Priestess of Earth was also setting up her treasure to use Gabriel's origin energy trace to bring him to them!

There was still some work left to do before everything was ready for their trap. However, currently none of them was focused on the task at hand.

"This energy... It's similar to what destroyed your Church!" The Holy Priestess of Earth exclaimed. "Looks like we won't need to use my treasure after all."

"That person! Instead of hiding, he dares to be so high profile to reveal his trace? Good!" The Holy Priests of Flames already had a fire burning in his heart.

His entire body was covered in scorching blue flames as he shot straight toward the Empire of Arecia!

The Holy Priestess of Earth followed behind the Holy Lord of Flames. Even she was curious just what this tower of light was being used for, or why now!

The Holy Priestess of Lightning and the Holy Priestess of Water were together, trying to find traces of Lambard's current location and to some extent, they had also succeeded. They found out that the city of Abbadon was currently near the Arecia Empire. They didn't know exactly where.

They were already on their way to the Arecia Empire when they saw the beam of light. The two of them also happened to be the closest to that place.

Both of them left their carriages. To get to the source of this disturbance, they decided to cover the rest of the way through flight! The Head Priests who were accompanying them followed along.

One after another, all of the Holy Priests were on their way to the Arecia Empire... All but two... The two were already inside the Arecia Empire!

One of them was Avilia who was already inside the castle when it happened. She had fallen asleep but woke up as soon as she sensed the flood of this strange energy that even made her feel uncomfortable!

Through the window, she looked out in the direction of the garden. This thing... Is that where he went? But what is this beam of light? Why does it even make me shiver? Just what's happening?

Being closest to the garden of Legacy, Avilia felt even more influenced by that strange energy. However, she still decided to check it out for herself.

"What a big commotion this guy caused!" She exclaimed, sighing. "Soon, the others should be there as well."

Above the Royal Palace, the Holy Lord of Wind was sitting comfortably, looking at the garden of legacy.

Unlike Avilia, he didn't get close to the Garden. Instead, he just observed it from a distance.

After some time, he turned around, gazing in the distance. "As expected, this time the disturbance is just too much. Even the Temple of Time came out."

Outside the Empire of Arecia, a giant door appeared out of thin air. In the middle of the door, only an hourglass was carved. Despite being just a carving, the hourglass was full of life.

A small crack appeared as the door slowly opened.

The door connected two different spaces through one portal. From the door, a young man and a young woman came out. None of the two appeared to be in any hurry at all. What was even stranger was that both of them had pale faces yet deep blood red eyes.

The two looked at the beam of light.

"So this is the place where he hid it. No wonder we couldn't find anything. What a headache... If that army returns, it would get quite troublesome for us." The young man muttered, not showing much reaction. "But how is it opened again? Only he could've opened that place. But he's dead! So how?"

The woman next to him doesn't speak anything. Even she appeared somewhat confused. "Could it be that he returned?"

"Impossible! It's just not possible with everything that happened in the past. There's no way. I don't know how, but someone must've found a way to open that place!" The man grimaced. It wasn't often that he showed such serious expressions.

He glanced back at the red pendant that was hanging around his chest. For a moment, there was only silence. "It doesn't matter how it happened. The tower of light can't be faked! It's appearing... It's appearing in this world again... The army that left only death in its path!"

"Even if he hasn't returned himself... Even if it's just the army... Even if it's just one soldier... this world isn't capable of resisting! We can't let it succeed! Whoever opened it, we shall eradicate them!"

Gabriel was still present inside the Garden of Legacy. Looking at the tower of light before him, even he was slightly worried. There was no way such a big disturbance wasn't going to be noticed by the others. It was clear to him.

"I didn't expect the disturbance to be so big."

He didn't realize that he had still underestimated just the kind of disturbance he had caused.

The Holy Grimoire of Necromancy was at the core of that bright beam of light. Even he couldn't get close to the Forbidden Book of Necromancy. He could only watch from a distance.

He didn't even understand just what exactly was happening. So far, other than the beam of light, he hadn't noticed anything else in this garden. However, he did sense that his strength was slowly increasing.

undefinedIt was as if the natural energy in the Empire of Arecia had improved multiple times but only for him! He could even feel the aura of death in the wind itself!

The bright beam of light didn't last for a long time. After only fifteen minutes, the bright light slowly started dispersing. However, the light didn't just get destroyed! Instead, the beam of light spread all around the Empire, forming some kind of natural barrier around the Empire of Arecia!

It was as if the entire Empire was covered in a majestic black dome. It was impossible to look through the barrier for ordinary people, let alone pass through it. Even mages could only barely see through the barrier.

After the barrier appeared, the book of Grimoire floated straight to Gabriel. Gabriel reached out his hand to touch the Holy Grimoire, but before his fingers could even land on the Grimoire, the Holy Grimoire opened on its own!

The pages started flipping on their own until a blank page was opened.

Gabriel was fascinated to see the book open on its own! It only happened when he was receiving a new spell! Everything appeared similar!

Just as he expected, words started appearing on the blank page! Surprisingly, the title was blank! The spell... It had no name! Not only did it have no name, not even the rank was left as a blank! He didn't know if it was a high tier spell or a low tier spell. However, since it appeared now, he tried to convince himself that the spell couldn't be bad.

There was also no description of that spell! There was only the chant that Gabriel could read but not understand! It was as if there were some foreign language words that he couldn't understand!

He could feel a strange power coming from those words. It was as if he was already very familiar with them, even though he didn't understand them.

There were no warnings about this spell. No limitations were mentioned and he couldn't even see just how much strength this spell consumed. It was also unclear if the spell was an offensive spell, or defensive? Or something else entirely?

He wanted to test the spell, but without knowing what it was, he hesitated.

"If this is a weak spell, it is fine. However, if it is an offensive spell which is even more powerful than the wrath of undead, then would the entire city be destroyed under it? Should I test it in some barren land?" He wondered, as if talking to himself. There were a lot of considerations to take into account.

"The Grimoire wouldn't give me an offensive spell without description, would it?" He went through the spell again, trying to see if he could grasp something from it. "This spell only appeared after I went through so much to uncover the secret of this garden but that still isn't finished. Is this spell related to this garden?"

"If this spell is a way to uncover the secret of this place, it would be a real loss if I miss this chance. I can't find more Heavenly Stones for another such opportunity. Should I really take the risk?"

In the end, he was in conflict with himself. On one side, he wanted to take the risk to achieve his goal. On the other hand, he wanted to be cautious. This beam of light had made such a huge commotion that Gabriel was sure the other Heavenly Lords were already on their way. If he used this spell, and it was a high tier offensive spell, it was just a waste of his strength!

If this spell consumed all his strength in exchange for destroying this city, not only was he going to lose this city but also he was going to be at his weakest when the Holy Lords arrived to attack him.

"If that happens, I can't even rely on Avilia to help me!"

"Argh, forget it! I can't miss this opportunity after coming this far!"

After a long back and forth, in the end, Gabriel managed to convince himself and take the risk! He didn't want to miss this opportunity or rely on others! If it was really something bad for him, then he left it for later. He didn't think the Grimoire would actually do something to harm him!

He memorized the spell and used wordless chants to cast the spell.

After a few seconds, Gabriel's expressions changed. He opened his eyes, frowning.

"Hmm? The wordless chant can't be used with this spell? That's strange. Just what is this spell?"

With wordless chant being useless, Gabriel decided to take the long route and actually chant the spell.

With each word he chanted, he felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if he had used such words thousands of times before! It was as if he was already familiar with this spell, even though it was his first time using this.

Moreover, as he continued chanting the spell, something strange was happening under his feet. The entire ground that was covered in black grass now was changing slowly!

All the grass broke apart slowly and turned into specks of darkness! Gabriel's body started rising in the sky on its own while the ground continued changing!

From this height, when he looked down, it was as if he was looking at a pitch black abyss! Other than darkness, nothing could be seen in the garden! Even he couldn't see through that darkness!

What was even more bizarre was that each word he finished from the chant, hundreds of evil spirits rushed out of the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy and disappeared into the dark abyss in the garden!

Gabriel didn't have time to stop or even think about it and continued chanting the nameless spell, getting closer and closer to the end!

The two Envoys from the Temple of Time got closer to the Empire but before they could step inside, they saw the bright tower of light disappear. The next moment, a barrier appeared around the Empire when they were just a little outside the border.

The two Envoys were taken aback at the sudden appearance of the barrier, especially when they hadn't managed to enter the Empire of Arecia yet.

On another side of the Empire, the Holy Priests had also started arriving, only to be greeted by the barrier.

The Holy Lord of Flames clenched his fist and punched the barrier with his full strength! Even his fist was surrounded in deep blue flames as he attacked.

Boom ~

undefinedThe Holy Priest's fist landed on the barrier, creating an explosive sound. However, what the others saw was something they didn't expect. They saw the Holy Lord of Flames flying back uncontrollably.

Not only was the barrier completely unharmed, but it was the Holy Lord of Flames who suffered. It was only after the Holy Lord of Flames was pushed back a few hundred meters in the air that he managed to regain his balance.

"What kind of barrier is it? It's stronger than anything I've seen. Not only does it prevent me from passing through, but it uses my own attack against me by reflecting it?" The Holy Lord of Flames frowned, moving closer to the Holy Priestess of Earth.

"Can you tell us what is going on here?" The Holy Priestess of Water asked. Since she was the last to arrive here, she thought that the others had some idea at least.

"I don't know what's happening. However, it's definitely not good. It's related to the one who destroyed the Church of Flames," the Holy Priestess of Earth responded.

"The barrier is really hard to break. Even if we all attack together, it'll take at least half an hour to break it by my estimates," the Holy Lord of Flames muttered. He turned to the Holy Priestess of Earth. "Can we use the earth to pass through the barrier?"

"You mean enter from under the barrier?" The Holy Priestess wondered. Even though she didn't know just what this barrier was, she felt that it wasn't easy to pass through it even if she tried making a tunnel under earth.

Still, just to be safe, she landed on the ground. Her figure turned Illusory as she submerged inside the earth, disappearing. It was as if the earth had become her water and she was a mermaid born to travel through it.

After around five minutes, she came out again with disappointment on her face.

"It won't work. The barrier covers everything, from sky to earth. We can only destroy it if we want to enter!"

No matter how strong a barrier was, at the end of the day, its energy was limited. It was impossible for any barrier to last for an eternity against all the Holy Lords combined.

"Then so be it!" The Holy Lord of Flames exclaimed. "I will let that bastard live for half an hour more!"

As there was no other option, all the Holy Lords combined their strength and started attacking together with their strongest of spells, slowly wearing down the barrier.

Back at the side of the Temple of Time, things were much more different.

Unlike the Holy Lords, they didn't use brute strength.

Both the Envoys were quite unphased. The man simply placed his hand on the barrier. He didn't use any force behind it, so as to not be countered.

As soon as the man placed his hand on the barrier, the red gem around his neck started shining brightly, as if releasing a strange power.

The power didn't fight against the barrier at all. Instead, it just controlled the surrounding space of the barrier. It was as if the time was moving in reverse by a few seconds to the time before the barrier was cast in that space.

Even though time moved back by only a few seconds in a small space, it was still enough to almost exhaust the man entirely. He was barely holding on as his entire body felt weak. It was a struggle to even remain standing.

Fortunately, within a few seconds, an opening was created in the barrier. The two Envoys passed through the small opening, finally stepping foot inside the land of Arecia.

As the two passed through, the man stopped using his strength! The time that was revered by a few seconds returned to normal and the barrier appeared once again.

"Are you alright?" The woman known as Litvia asked. "If you're tired, you can stay here and recover. I'll handle everything else."

"No need." The man called Ozen was weak after using barely only a little bit of power of time, but he didn't show weakness.

He was still calm even though weak. He brought a small gem from his pocket and placed it under his tongue, regaining some of his strength.

Litvia didn't question him anymore. The two started flying toward the Garden of Legacy.

At the same time, the garden of legacy had transformed completely! The ground had turned into a dark abyss, filled with the aura of death. However, that abyss wasn't just limited to the ground!

As soon as Gabriel spoke the last word of the chant, the darkness shot out of the garden, swallowing Gabriel inside it!

Gabriel was stunned but he couldn't even resist. Everything around him turned pitch black and even he was unable to see anything.

For him, the entire world had turned dark! He flew higher and higher, but he couldn't come out of the darkness for some reason.

Somehow, he even felt as if he wasn't outside the garden anymore, but in a different place entirely.

After trying to get out of the darkness for a long time and still failing to get out, he stopped wasting time. If there was nothing to be done, he wanted to see just what this place was.

"Come to me." He raised his right hand, calling for his Grimoire of Necromancy which he could still feel around him, even though he couldn't see.

Other than the Grimoire of Necromancy, he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't even feel the other Grimoire that was under his control. It was as if in this place, only his connection with the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy was the eternal truth.

The Grimoire of Necromancy listened to his commands and flew straight into his hands.

"If only you could talk, I could've known just what was happening. Everything is so bizarre." Gabriel held Grimoire firmly. He stopped flying higher and instead went down. If under him was an abyss, then he believed that going to the depth of this abyss was the answer.

Gabriel had flown up for a long time, trying to get out of the darkness. According to him, he should've been far away from the ground. However, as he started going down, within a few seconds, his feet landed on something solid.

It was as if he had reached the ground which was hard to understand. It was as if the space and time was distorted in this place.

Moreover, as soon as he landed on the ground, the darkness seemingly started retreating.

He was once again able to see the dark grass under his feet. It was as if he was back in the garden again. However, what was strange was that his surroundings were different!

It was as if he wasn't in the Royal City of Arecia! Moreover, it wasn't the garden at all! It was just that the grass was similar.

undefinedNot too far from him, he could see a black river. The river was similar to what he saw in the past when he was taken to a safe place by the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy. It was the same river which was filled with evil spirits.

"Get inside..."

"Come in..."

"Come in..."

The evil spirits were still whispering to him to get inside the water. However, after last time, Gabriel didn't have any intention of entering the river. There was just something too strange here.

On the river, he noticed a dark gray bridge which appeared to be the only way to cross the river. However, the other end of the bridge and the area was covered in mist that was impossible to see through. Even Gabriel couldn't guess what was on the other end of the river...

Let alone on the other end of the river and bridge, he couldn't even see around the mist behind him. Only the small garden area where he was standing was visible.

Currently, he had two paths before him. He couldn't either turn around and go back inside the mist. Or he could cross the river to see what was on the other side of the river.

Fortunately, it wasn't hard to decide. His heart was telling him that he needed to cross the river. Moreover, even if he couldn't find anything worthwhile on the other side, he could at least return back to this place and check the surroundings.

Not wasting much time, he stepped closer to the river of souls. He stepped on the dark wooden bridge. The bridge looked really weak, as if it could break at any moment. It was filled with cracks everywhere.

Gabriel was really careful when walking over the bridge, occasionally glancing over to the river under him.

The river was similar to what he saw before, but for some reason, it looked even deeper and more dangerous. It was as if the river he saw before was just a weaker branch of this river.

The Grimoire in his hand returned to the form of a ring like before, freeing his hand.

"Just what was that garden? It was as if the garden was a door to another space. I hope I won't find another god trapped who wants to kill me here. One is already enough..."

He didn't know what this place was, but he was sure that it was related to Karyk. Which also meant that there was a possibility of some dangers here.

Despite being weak, the bridge didn't break. The spirits kept trying to lure Gabriel inside the water, but they didn't dare to get close to him, as if they were scared of something.

Just the aura of the Spirits here alone was enough to bring a powerful mage down to their knees yet it had no effect on Gabriel at all. His mind was still as clear as before.

After walking over a thousand meter long bridge, Gabriel finally reached the other end of the bridge, entering the mist.

"What... is... this...?" As soon as he passed through the bridge to land on the other side, his expressions changed slightly.

He had no expectations as to what he was going to see when coming here. He was prepared to find many bizzare things in this place. However, what he saw was probably the last thing he expected to find in a dangerous place like this!

Before him, there were no dangerous monsters! There were no ghosts! There wasn't even any visible trap! What was before him was quite mundane instead! In front of him, there was a beautiful castle.

Other than looking beautiful and majestic, Gabriel couldn't find anything special in that Castle.

He didn't get close to the castle, only observing from a distance.

After observing the entire castle, his attention was mainly attracted by a single part of the castle... the balcony.

The balcony felt a little familiar. He observed the balcony carefully, trying to remember just where he saw it last time.

After a long time, his eyes lit up in surprise as he finally remembered. "Wait, isn't that where I stood in that dream?"

At the start of receiving his Grimoire, he had a lot of strange yet realistic dreams. In one such dream, he was a little boy. He was treated like a Prince. In that dream, he even had a mother, a father and a sister.

He was brought to this same balcony at that time, where his father gave a speech to millions of people who were standing in the same place where he was currently standing.

Even though he was on the other side of the castle, it was as if he could still vividly see the entire scene where the entire family was standing on that same balcony and he was being scolded by his father for being lazy.

At the same time, the people around the castle were paying their respect to the Emperor!

For some reason, a sudden feeling of sadness engulfed his heart. He didn't understand what that feeling was but it came from the depths of his heart. A pain that was buried so deep that even he couldn't find the reason for it.

A single tear trickled down his cheeks on its own while Gabriel kept staring at that balcony.

He came to this place for the first time in reality according to him, but in his heart, it was as if he was finally back home... A home which was filled with memories...

"Is this Karyk's home?" Gabriel muttered, wondering if the sadness he felt was because of his connection with Karyk through this Grimoire.

"Wasn't the castle destroyed in the war?" He slowly stepped closer to the entrance of the castle. "Did Karyk make it again...?"

Gabriel reached the entrance of the castle which was completely unguarded. He pushed the majestic door open.

However, as soon as the door was fully open, he subconsciously stepped back, seeing what was on the other side.

Gabriel opened the door of the majestic castle, only to be greeted by a completely unexpected sight.

The first thing that greeted him after he opened the doors was a majestic hall, that was huge! The hall seemed to cover an area even larger than the castle itself. It was as if the space inside the castle didn't follow the rules of space and time.

However, what stunned him even more was that the hall wasn't completely empty.

He could see many people inside the hall. There were at least more than a hundred people inside that place. However the strange part was that all of them had no signs of life. It was as if they were all lifeless.

Despite being lifeless, they weren't like corpses. They had their own aura, it was as if they were just sleeping.

undefinedGabriel had seen many Head Priests outside, but even the aura of the weakest undead here was stronger than what any Head Priest could possess! If anything, that aura was closer to a Holy Priest!

"Is this... the real army of Undead?" Gabriel frowned. All the undead here were stronger than what he was able to create. Even the weakest here was like Raphael in strength, let alone the stronger ones! Every one of them could destroy an Empire all alone!

"The army that was actually created by Karyk? It wasn't destroyed?" Frowning, Gabriel finally stepped inside the castle.

Even though there were so many undeads, none of them were moving. It was as if they were all in deep sleep at the moment.

What was even more surprising was that there were shackles around their ankles, as if they weren't allowed to leave this place. Other than the shackles, there was also a powerful formation under all of their feets.

"These shackles... They are similar to what was used to imprison the Holy Priestess of Nature. They were created by Karyk. But why?"

If Gabriel didn't know better about the spells of Army of Undead, he would've assumed that it was because these undead betrayed Gabriel but that was impossible. As an Undead, if these people had anything, it was their undying loyalty to their master!

"There was no way they could betray or go against Karyk. Then why?" Gabriel frowned, observing the shackles which were obviously weaker than the shackles of the Holy Priestess of Nature. It was as if these shackles were just here as a form of precautions for something.

"Why would he seal them here? What exactly killed him? Why didn't he use this army?"

Confused, Gabriel walked deeper and deeper into the hall, looking carefully at all the Undead. He couldn't deny that they were all just in a different league than his own Undeads!

Many of the Undeads here had weapons of their own, which were also Numens! It wasn't surprising though. They worked for a god after all.

"This entire place is so strange. The energy here is full of death. Is this the Holy Region of Death?"

After passing through the sea of undead army, Gabriel reached the end of the hall where he saw a dark red staircase leading upstairs.

He didn't step on the stairs. Instead, he turned around. Looking at all the powerful undead, he had an idea. Even though he wasn't Karyk and couldn't have their undying loyalty, but if he could free them, and use their strength for himself, wasn't it an incredible feat?

"Will they really work for me just because I share the same element?" He wondered. He didn't know how to break the formation under their feet, or what was going to happen after he released them which made him hesitate a little.

"I should check upstairs first. Try to find out just what happened here. I should free them when I'm leaving. If I try now, and something goes wrong, I'll have no choice but to retreat and won't be able to check upstairs..."

After a few minutes, he dropped the idea, not wanting to be too hasty.

He stepped on the stairs and went upstairs, not knowing that all the Undead opened their eyes at once, glancing at his back...

Gabriel stepped on the first floor, which was quite different from the ground floor.

No matter what, the interior of this castle was far away from looking like a real castle. It was as if each floor had a different world in itself.

While the ground floor contained the Army of Undead, the first floor had something even more amazing.

The first floor was covered in mist, all around. It was even impossible to see through this mist, no matter what he tried. However, through this mist, he felt an even stronger power than the army of undead.

Gabriel walked through the mist, having no destination at all. The deeper he entered, the heavier the mist became.

Through the mist, he could even see some figures at times, but as he chased after those figures, they disappeared like ghosts.

Even though he didn't understand what was on this floor, he felt as if it was too important for him. He could even feel the buzzing of his ring of Necromancy which was getting stronger and stronger.

Outside the garden of Legacy, the two Envoys of Temple of Time were standing. They were staring at the darkness ahead.

The man known as Ozen rubbed his forehead. "So that place was always hiding in the spatial cracks in this garden. What a good place..."

"Can you close that crack?" Litvia asked him.

"I can close it, but would that change anything? Whoever opened this place is already inside. Even if I seal this crack, all it takes is one attack from those Undeads and the crack will not only open, but also become bigger," Ozen responded. "We can only enter that place ourselves and kill the person who opened it."

"I just hope that it won't be too late." He sighed, before stepping inside the garden.

Litvia followed behind the man, entering the dark abyss inside the garden as well.

As soon as the two of them entered, both of them expected to be sent to the same place as Gabriel.

Boom~

Two figures flew out of the Garden of Legacy, crashing on the streets far away from the Garden.

Both the Envoys of Temple of Time were bleeding, and seemed heavily injured. It was as if they had suffered heavy injuries!

Their expressions were unsightly while their faces were pale. However, thanks to the pendants on their chest, all their wounds healed, as if the time of their body was reversed.

The two stood up. There was a trace of anger in their eyes while also a trace of astonishment.

Even after all these years, the defense is still so strong. It looks like, we won't be able to enter that place. There's natural resistance..." Litvia grimaced as she slowly stood up, not even caring about the dust on her clothes.

For now, her entire focus was on the garden which was like a deep abyss. Even though she wasn't close to the garden now, she could still feel the powerful energy coming from the Garden of Legacy, that was making them feel pressure.

They weren't alone who tried to get inside the castle to fail either.

On the other side of the garden, Avilia had already tried as well, but even she was pushed back. Even her beasts couldn't enter the place. It was as if that place was the Sacred Region of Death where no one else but the heir of that element could go!

In the end, she could only retreat while wondering just what was happening inside the garden and why such drastic changes took effect.

undefinedShe still remembered the words of the Holy Lord of Wind. There were too many secrets in Gabriel. She could only wait for him to get out before asking him what this was all about.

At the same time, she also wondered if Gabriel could come out before the barrier covering the Empire of Arecia was broken by other Holy Lords. That was much safer since she could at least tell them that the person who caused all this had already escaped. If not, they were going to find Gabriel and she didn't know how prepared he was at the moment.

Even though Gabriel had already planned to go against the other Holy Lords, he hadn't planned to do it so soon.

"Hmm? Who are they?"

Avilia was still thinking about Gabriel when she noticed two more people near the Garden of Legacy. The people didn't appear much affected by the aura of the garden as long as they were outside. It was just like her. They were not weak at all.

"The gem on them..." She frowned. Even though she hadn't seen the people from. Temple of Time in the past, she had heard about them and knew some basic details about them.

One of the most recognisable things about the members of Temple of Time was the red gem that hung around their neck like a pendant. It was said that the gem was the source of most of their powers.

Many people tried to break those gems or steal them to take these people down, but all of them failed. The strength of these people was just too extraordinary.

"The Temple of Time is also here? They came out? The commotion this time is surely big..."

She didn't approach them, even after recognising them.

"Should we inform the higher ups?" Ozen inquired. "They should have enough strength to enter that place forcefully."

"It would be too late," Litvia responded. "We can't contact them from here because of this barrier. We have to leave the Empire and contact them."

" Let alone the fact that they might not be able to come here because of..." She paused and didn't continue for some time. After a brief period of silence, she continued. "Even if they managed to come, it would be too late."

Ozen went silent. He understood that Litvia wasn't entirely wrong. They didn't have much time after all.

"If only we had the Stones of Time that were stolen by that bastard! We would've been able to enter easily!" The man was quite frustrated but there wasn't much he could do.

"Since we can't enter that place, we might as well destroy this entire city," Litvia spoke, not showing much emotions even though what she talked about concerned the lives of millions of people in the city.

"Are you thinking about...?" The man frowned, guessing the woman's intentions. "The chaotic energy of life and death of so many people should be able to make that space unstable. The space would collapse on itself and be destroyed from inside. It might just work."

"That's right." Litvia expressionlessly nodded. "No matter how strong that army is, if the space itself is destroyed, they won't be able to come out! That space will become their tomb... Their final resting place!"

It was already decided outside the Garden of Legacy to destroy the entire Royal City just to kill Gabriel and the frightening Army of Undead inside that place since they couldn't be allowed to leave!

Gabriel had no idea about all that and he was still walking through the mist.

Since he couldn't see anything, he only followed his own instincts and walked in a random direction that he subconsciously selected.

After half an hour of walking nonstop, he finally felt something. His heart was getting restless for some reason! As for the Ring of Necromancy, it went awfully silent abruptly!

The ring which was constantly buzzing was completely silent for some reason.

Gabriel didn't stop. It was as if his soul was being called ahead... And it was different from when the evil souls were calling him last time. This time, it was his own deeper desires that were telling him to keep moving.

Even though Gabriel wasn't barefoot, he felt the ground getting warmer and warmer the further he moved.

After an unknown amount of time, Gabriel finally stopped. Even though it was still impossible to completely see through the mist, there was one thing that he could see. It was as if that thing before him wasn't affected by that mist at all.

He could see it crystal clear! Before him, there was a piece of stone, which was only one meter high. The stone wasn't ordinary stone. It was more like a deep red gem... The largest gem that Gabriel had ever seen before.

Gabriel was subconsciously attracted to that stone.

He stepped closer to the stone. Even he couldn't see through the stone. The stone had no aura. No symbols were carved on the jade stone. Other than being beautiful, nothing extraordinary could be seen. However, his heart was still telling him that it was special.

Gabriel reached out his hand, letting his fingers touch the stone.

As soon as he touched the stone, the stone started changing shape.

The stone turned from a solid form to a gaseous form, as if it was a mist as well. However, that mist was different from the ordinary mist he had seen along the way.

The mist slowly gathered, changing into a humanoid shape. The figure was real but not real at the same time. It was more Illusory than it was real, as if it could disappear at any time.

Gabriel's heart was filled with shock as he exclaimed, "You areā€¦"

The illusory figure belonged to a young woman who didn't look older than twenty.

Looking at the Illusory figure of the woman, it was as if the woman was a spirit. However, something didn't feel right.

Gabriel couldn't help but feel some similarities between the woman before him and another girl.

In the same dream where he saw this castle for the first time, there was another girl who was quite close to him in age. In that dream, the girl was his sister... Or rather the sister of the young Karyk whose life he was seeing.

"You're his sister...?" Gabriel was quite stunned.

undefinedThe spiritual figure floated before him. Her face was blank, as if she was still a little dazed and muddled.

The illusory figure before Gabriel was just like how he would've imagined the girl to have looked like when she grew up. The similarities were uncanny. However, that didn't make sense.

According to what he had heard through Lambard, when Karyk first awakened his abilities through the chaos of destruction, his body swallowed all the souls of the dead in the Empire! No matter how he resisted, he couldn't stop it.

Even his sister and his family's souls were swallowed by his body, becoming the unintentional stepping stone for his incredible abilities that later shook this entire world.

The souls that were absorbed at that time weren't like the souls that could be recalled or Karyk wouldn't have been so troubled. The souls he absorbed at that time were all torn apart, turning into the purest form of energy.

That's why Gabriel found it hard to believe that the soul could belong to Karyk's sister. Unfortunately, the similarities were just too much to be a coincidence.

This place was getting more and more weirder the more he saw. First, the Army of Undead which was sealed here, and now a person who was supposed to be destroyed? Unfortunately, there was no one who could guide him or explain things. He had already lost hope for the Grimoire to explain anything.

"Who are you?" Gabriel asked the Illusory figure directly. He didn't know why, but looking at that spirit, there was astonishment in his eyes, yet there was also a strange feeling of relief which he didn't understand.

The spiritual figure that came from the dark red stone looked at Karyk, not speaking anything. It was unclear if she could even speak or understand his words in the first place.

She didn't get close to Gabriel, but she didn't leave either.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?" Gabriel waved his hands before the girl, but the girl didn't react. She just looked at his moving hands in curiosity.

Gabre sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. It was clear that he wasn't going to get an answer.

"She won't understand a single thing. She's like a newborn."

Just as Gabriel was wondering what he should do with the woman, a voice came from behind him... A voice that he recognised and didn't feel any hostility towards.

"Alion?" Surprised, he turned around.

Just as he expected, there was a man behind him. The man had similar cross shaped earring but looked slightly older than him.

"How can you be here?" Gabriel asked, perplexed. Every Time he saw the man, it was in the dream. "Am i still in a dream? Did I fell asleep after I entered the abyss?"

Everything that Gabriel saw in this place was hard to believe. In fact, it was easier to believe that it was a dream than the reality. However, he didn't remember falling asleep. Even though the line between his dreams and reality was oftentimes blurred, this place still felt too real for comfort.

"This isn't a dream," Alion responded as he walked closer to the spirit in the distance. He gently patted the head of the spirit.

Gabriel was astonished to see that the man could touch the spirit that didn't have any physical body.

He also subconsciously stepped closer, reaching out his hand. He didn't feel scared.

Even though he just wanted to test to see if he could also touch the spirit, just as he was about to touch the woman's hand, his wrist was grabbed by Alion who stopped his hand.

Gabriel's hand was only a few inches away from the cheeks of the woman when he was stopped by Alion. The woman looked back and forth between the two of them like a little child full of curiosity.

"Why are you stopping me?" Gabriel frowned. He didn't feel as if there were any dangers. Moreover, for some reason when he was stopped when he was about to touch the head of the girl, he felt a strange anger. Even he didn't understand where that originated from.

He had never seen his father. As for his mother, she died when he was little. He never grew up with a proper family, let alone knowing what it felt like to have a real sister. Yet, for some reason, he felt quite close to the girl before him.

"If I don't stop you, you'll destroy her soul." Alion released Gabriel's hands.

Gabriel didn't dare reach out his hand this time. If he touched her, she was going to be destroyed? Even though he didn't understand why, he didn't take a risk.

"Why can you touch her but I can't? Is it because you're also a spirit and I'm not?" Gabriel asked. Even though Alion was before him, but Alion was just a Demigod. Unlike Gods, he couldn't live this long.

For Gabriel, what was before him was just the spirit of Alion which came through the earrings... Similar to the remnants of souls of Novius and Cylix in the Tower of Challenges.

Alion's lips curved into a smile. "Do you want me to be dead so bad?"

"You're not dead?!"

"I'm as alive as you are," Alion vaguely answered but before Gabriel could ask more, he changed the topic. "As for why you can't touch her, it's not because of you being alive. It has more to do with your elements."

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked. "What does my Elements have to do with her soul?"

"What do you think? You're at the Holy Lord level of Light. If you touch her now, even if you don't want to, the Holy Aura of Light will destroy her soul and I can't allow that to happen..."

"You seem to care about her." Even though Alion didn't say it explicitly, Gabriel felt more as if he did care about the girl like family. "Who is she? And why was she in that stone? What was even that stone in the first place?"

Alion didn't answer immediately. It was as if he was thinking about what to say.

After a brief pause, he finally said something.

"She... She is the calamity that destroyed everything..." He touched the woman's cheeks gently, as if he was scared of hurting her. "She is the reason the world was turned upside down."

As he spoke, his eyes glanced at Gabriel. Some inexplicable emotions flashed in his eyes. "She's the reason for the downfall of the person that was once called invincibleā€¦"

"Downfall of Karyk?" Gabriel's expressions darkened. From all the legends he had heard, the only existence that was worthy of being called invincible was Karyk.

"How could a Spirit cause the downfall of a god who controlled life and death?!"

If there was one thing that Karyk was the best at, it was controlling spirits and the undead! So how could a Spirit become his calamity?

Gabriel had always wondered just how exactly someone like Karyk died but to think that the answer was right before him?

There were still many questions in his mind and finally he had a person who could answer! Unfortunately, despite his questions, the man didn't say anything.

undefinedIt was as if he didn't even hear what Gabriel asked, despite clearly hearing the question.

"How did he die exactly?" Gabriel asked again.

Unfortunately, this time he was also ignored.

While ignoring Gabriel's question, Alion's focus remained on the woman before him, as if he was treating it as an excuse for ignoring the question altogether.

"The Destiny Soul Stone didn't disappoint. To think that it actually worked..." He walked around the spirit, as if observing the spirit aura carefully.

"Are you ignoring me?" Gabriel asked again, this time, stopping right before Alion and blocking his path.

Looking at the innocence in the eyes of the spirit, she didn't look like an evil existence who could even dream about hurting someone.

Alion finally stopped and turned serious. "Are you sure you want to enter the muddy waters of the past?"

"I want to know what happened in the past. I want to understand the source of my powers and everything related to it."

Ever since he received the Grimoire, he had been looking for answers as to why he was selected and just what was the origin of this element that he received.

"Alright. I'll tell you then."

Alion finally gave up, even though he felt that it was still too early for Gabriel to know such things, especially about the complicated past. Even though he didn't think he could tell Gabriel everything now, he could at least tell him some things to ease his mind and give him a glimpse into the past.

"How much do you know about Karyk?" he asked Gabriel, placing his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and bringing him away from the child-like spirit.

Gabriel didn't hide anything and told Alion everything he had heard about Karyk through Lambard, along with his own understanding.

After listening silently for some time, Alion shook his head. "That's more or less correct, but not entirely."

"If you want to know where everything started, it was probably something you've already seen," he said. "The Tomb... You've already been to that place. And as you said, the dream you saw was also correct. It was indeed a part of the past."

Gabriel didn't interfere and let Alion speak.

"The Goddess of Nature lost her brother at that time. Her brother was her last family member, so no matter how much of a friendship she had with Karyk, she couldn't stop her anger and attacked Karyk."

Alion appeared slightly dazed, as if he could still remember the past vividly, losing himself in the bygone era. "When she attacked, she didn't hold anything back. She was strong, but even she couldn't last long before Karyk, and was defeated shortly. Not only did Karyk defeat her, but he also imprisoned her at that Tomb."

"I think you already guessed that much, right?" he asked Gabriel who nodded in response.

"What you don't know is what happened after that..." Alion sighed. He snapped his fingers and the mist around them started changing shape, showing a scene from the past from Alion's memories.

[An unknown amount of time ago]

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused for yourself?"

In a room, a person was standing near the window, looking outside.

From the back, the man's face couldn't be seen, yet the mark on the back of his hand was visible. The person was the God of Death and Necromancer, the person at the center of a storm to be, Karyk.

Also inside the room was a woman, sitting in a chair, glancing in the direction of Karyk. She was also the one who had just spoken. The Mark of Light was on the back of her hand and she looked exactly like the Goddess of Light Theia that Gabriel had seen before, just slightly younger.

There was another person in the room, standing with the support of a wall lazily. The last person was none other than Alion himself.

Three cups were placed on the table before the chairs, filled with a blue unknown liquid that had a very sweet smell, like it was a drink. Despite that, none picked it up.

Theia looked in the direction of Alion. "Aren't you his so-called friend? You should've stopped him, shouldn't you? It's the first time a God has been imprisoned here. You know how much this situation has made others concerned about him?"

"You think I can stop him?" Alion shrugged. "Also, it was her who attacked him first. It can be called self defense."

Theia rolled her eyes in response, as if telling Alion to stop considering her as an idiot who didn't know the truth.

"It doesn't matter what it was." After a period of silence, she spoke again, "Karyk's constantly increasing strength was already concerning to the others. However, none of the gods interfered with each other, so the situation was stable. However, with what happened to her, the situation has changed."

"Let me guess. Since Karyk defeated and captured the Goddess of Nature, the other gods are scared of being targeted next?" Alion asked, taking an educated guess. It wasn't hard for him to understand the reaction either.

Theia nodded. "That's right. The situation is complicated and quite tense. None of them wants a war, but if nothing is done, then the situation might explode at any time. Given Karyk's temperament, just one spark can cause a headache for everyone..."

"Let it be." Karyk finally chimed in, still not looking bothered at all. It was as if he was quite lazy to care about the situation. "If they want a war, I'll welcome them with open arms. I won't mind creating seven more tombs."

Hearing the response, Theia wasn't surprised. She had expected this kind of response after all.

"I don't want any more tombs though. You know that if there is a war, it'll only weaken us. And we can't afford to forget that with the kind of enemy we face, we can't afford to be weakened with internal strife. So I have a suggestion. It might help alleviate the situationā€¦"

Karyk still didn't appear to care about what she was saying. Instead, he was more focused on a little bird which was sitting on a tree in the distance.

The little bird was feeding its hungry children. However, for some reason, the bird appeared to be somewhat injured. It was as if it was hurt when gathering food.

Even though Karyk didn't respond to Theia, Alion was different.

"What suggestions?"

Theia took a deep breath, as if she was very careful with what she was about to say next.

undefined"What makes the others wary of you is your constantly increasing strength. If it was just you, it was still not worth concern for the others. However, you also have an entire army... The Forbidden Army that can destroy Kingdoms at ease. So my suggestion is that..."

Karyk didn't react but he was still listening to Theia, wondering just what this woman was suggesting. However, what she said next made him frown.

"My suggestion is that you seal the Forbidden Army for a thousand years," she spoke.

However, before she could even finish her statement, she felt a deadly pressure acting on her body, as if she was being stared at by the god of death himself!

Just as she expected, Karyk had finally turned around.

Even though his face was still expressionless, but his eyes were speaking a lot. It was as if he was looking down at her, telling her that she wasn't worthy to put such conditions before him.

"They are concerned about my Army?" Karyk asked in a seemingly calm tone. However, there were a lot of undercurrents in his statement. "How about I give them a chance?"

"What do you mean?" Theia asked, feeling as if something was amiss.

"What I mean is simple," Karyk responded. "If they're concerned about my army, I can simply give them an opportunity to destroy it. Let me send them to their territory to kill everyone that is associated with them! I won't interfere. If those gods can destroy my army, they'll get what they want."

Even though his words made it sound like he was giving a concession, but Theia understood that it wasn't a concession at all. It was more of a threat! Even if the Gods came and managed to destroy the Army of Undead, it wasn't going to be before their entire territory was turned into a graveyard, filled with rivers of blood!

Karyk's army was filled with undead with strength no less than Demigods after all! It wasn't wrong to say that the army was considered a big part of Karyk's strength!

Theia maintained her calm. "I know what you're implying, but remember, I'm not here to harm you. What I'm saying is for your own good. If you follow my suggestions, there will be three benefits for you which can't be ignored."

"What benefits?" Karyk asked.

"First benefit... With your army sealed, the other gods will calm down and won't be too wary. That will calm the current situation while also preserving everyone's strength," Theia spoke, finally picking up the drink.

However, she didn't drink herself. She stood up and walked to Karyk, handing over the glass to him. "The second benefit... After a thousand years, your army will be free. In the meantime without your army, you can truly focus on increasing your own strength. When your army awakens in the future, you'll be even stronger than you are now."

"If that's all the benefits that you talk about, then it's not worth it," Karyk responded. "I don't care about strength. And I care even less about what the others think of me. If they attack me, I'll kill them. If they don't attack me, I'll let them be."

Karyk returned the drink to Theia, not even taking a sip. He turned and walked back to the window. "If that was all you had to say, you can leave."

"Won't you listen to the third benefit?" Theia asked as a hint of a smile appeared on her lips. "I had a feeling that even you can't ignore this benefit."

Karyk didn't react at all. "Alion, show her out."

"Let's go," Alion straightened up, gesturing for Theia to leave the room with him.

Theia didn't resist. She turned to leave. However, before stepping out of the room, she didn't forget to say one last thing.

"Third benefit... Your sister."

After finishing, she stepped out of the room. However, she had only taken a step out when she found Karyk standing before him, appearing like a ghost.

Karyk didn't even think twice before grabbing Theia by her throat, pushing her inside the room.

"Speak!" His cold voice roared in the entire castle!

Karyk was usually very calm. So seeing him like this was shocking even for Alion who had been friends with him for quite some time b

"Destiny Soul Stone! I know where it is!" Theia spoke, not scared at all despite being caught by Karyk.

"This is the third benefit I can promise you, for de-escalating the situation!"

"Are you blackmailing me?" Karyk's expressions darkened. "You've grown quite courageous, haven't you?"

"It's not a threat," Theia responded. "Release me and I'll explain the entire situation. Or if you don't care about the Destiny Soul Stone, then you can keep holding onto me."

Even though Karyk was impatient, he still released the woman, pushing her back. "You have five minutes to explain before I lose my patience!"

"I've heard about what happened to your family and your sister. I also heard that you've been looking for a Destiny Soul Stone for a long time. If I'm not wrong, you want to bring the soul of your sister back?"

"Only a Destiny stone can recover a complete soul from thousands of fragmented soul pieces of a person. Without that, even you can't do anything. So, how about it? Is that benefit worth it?" She asked.

"To be honest, the Destiny Soul Stone isn't on me either. It's with another god. And as you can guess, with the current tense situation, it's impossible for you to get that stone from them. Even if you try to take it by force, they might just destroy it."

"That's why, I came here with the proposal to de-escalate the situation as soon as I found out the whereabouts of the Destiny Soul Stone. This way, I help the others get some peace of mind and get you the Soul Stone. It's a win-win situation and all it needs is to seal your army for a thousand years..."

"Thousand year long peace doesn't sound bad, does it, especially when it comes with a Destiny Soul Stone."

The more Theia spoke, the more she couldn't be ignored. She had already read Karyk. She knew that Karyk was a lawless God, who didn't care about offending or killing anyone. If there was anything that could be used to help him co-operate, it was something that could help him achieve his deepest goals and this was it!

Karyk had always been tormented by the past. Even though he was an existence that people could only look up to, the people didn't know his pain.

There was never a night where he didn't hear the screams of his sister and the others as they were tormented and destroyed by his uncontrollable strength!

His sister was the closest person to him, and being the person who ripped her soul to shreds had always been his biggest regret. Unfortunately, he couldn't do much about it. There was only one thing that could help him. It was the Destiny Soul Stone.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried through the decades, he couldn't find any clues to the Destiny Soul Stone. Since it was a soul treasure, not even a Demigod could trace it! This thing could only be found with great luck!

At times, he even wondered if that thing even existed in the first place or was it all just a legend. No matter how small the hope became, he didn't give up. And now that he had a clue, he couldn't give up!

undefinedKaryk was completely silent. The Soul Stone was what he absolutely desired. If needed, he was even willing to go to war for it. Unfortunately, just like Theia said, the stone could easily be destroyed by the owner if he actually fought for it.

"Fine! I will seal my army for a thousand years!" Karyk exclaimed. In the end, nothing was more important than the Soul Stone for him!

Also, even if he sealed his army, that wasn't much of a concern. With his own strength, he didn't need to be concerned! For others, his army was a scary existence, but for him, it was just something he used when he was too lazy to deal with something personally.

He promised Theia to agree to her conditions in exchange for the Destiny Soul Stone from the owner!

[Present Time]

The mist dispersed after revealing the scene from Alion's memories.

It was the first time Gabriel had seen Karyk from a third person perspective. In every dream, it was as if he was Karyk himself. For the first time, he looked through someone else's eyes.

"So the seal on the Ground Floor is because of this?" Gabriel finally understood why Karyk sealed his own men! It finally made sense to him! It wasn't because the army betrayed him! Instead, it was for his love and regret toward his sister!

"That means the red stone was... the Destiny Soul Stone. And that girl..."

Gabriel was stunned. He didn't dare to touch the woman anymore. Karyk had gone through so much just to bring her back. He couldn't let the soul be destroyed because of his mistake.

"That's right. That girl is y... Karyk's sister." Alion nodded. "He used all the broken soul fragments and the Soul Stone. It took such a long time for the soul to become complete. However, it's still not perfect."

"Because the soul was completely destroyed and ripped to pieces, it really affected the memories of the girl," he further explained. "Even though this soul belongs to his sister, she is like a completely new person without any memories. Even I'm not sure if she can regain her memories or not."

Alion felt quite bad for the girl before him. Through no fault of her own, she had to bear the pain of her soul being destroyed peace by peace by her own brother. The entire family was so pitiful, especially Karyk.

Even now that she was back, she didn't have a body and was no more than a blank canvas.

"What are you going to do with her?" Gabriel asked. From the scene he saw in the mist, it was clear that Alion knew Karyk in the past and they were quite close.

Now that Karyk wasn't here, it made sense that he was here to take care of the soul. It made sense why he came out now!

"I won't do anything," Alion shrugged. "I will leave her to you. I will just help you recreate her body. After that, she can accompany you outside. I'll leave her protection to you."

"You can recreate the body for a soul?" Gabriel asked, slightly surprised. "Also, why do you want me to take her? Won't she be safer with you? After the commotion I caused outside, even I'm not sure what kind of situation I'll face outside."

Alion looked above, as if he was able to see through the endless darkness to see the scene outside.

"You're right about one thing. The situation outside is definitely not good for you," he sighed. "Even the Temple of Time sent people to check the situation. The commotion is really too much this time. A lot sooner than I expected. Then again, maybe it's destiny itself."

"The Temple of Time is there too?" Gabriel frowned. Even he didn't expect those people to show up. From what he heard, those people were even a bigger threat than the Holy Lords that were probably waiting for him outside.

It was already a surprise to him that those people hadn't rushed inside yet. He didn't know that it wasn't as if they didn't enter this place. It was just that they couldn't!

"Exactly. Why do you think it's a good idea for me to take her?" he asked. "What if I fail to keep her safe?"

Alion shook his head. "I have a feeling that you won't fail this time. As for why you need to take her, it's because she might remember a few things if she stayed outside with you. If I took her, she would only become more and more like a new person altogether."

'Her soul had just recovered. It's essential that the first person she accompanies is someone who is close to her," he thought, but not voicing it.

Since Alion had already made up his mind, Gabriel didn't speak much. He still had a lot of questions left after all. Now that there was a person to answer, he was getting greedy.

"You only told me the origin of soul stone and how it ended up here. But that didn't explain how Karyk died. And how did this girl become his Calamity? Even if his Army was sealed by him, he was still a strong existence. So what happened to him after that?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't know. I've already told you more than I should have." Not only did Alion not answer, but he completely dropped the topic altogether and started helping the woman recover her body. "Her soul can't stay outside for long. I'll start recreating her body."

Alion brought a small gem out of his pocket that he had been carrying for a really long time, exactly for this moment.

"Don't move," he told the woman's soul before directly placing the small blue gen on her forehead.

After placing the stone on her forehead, the man stepped back.

A whirlpool of magical energy rushed out of the blue gem, surrounding the soul of the young woman who looked slightly scared for the first time.

The whirlpool made it impossible for Gabriel and Alion to see what was happening inside it but the power it was emitting wasn't something an ordinary item could emit.

undefined"How long will it take?" Gabriel asked.

"Two days," Alion answered. "Recreating the physical body to bring the dead soul back to life isn't an easy process. It goes against the laws of nature that no one can completely ignore."

"To think that there were such magical items..." Gabriel had only known about the Numens and hadn't known about such gems which could even recreate physical bodies for a person.

Looking at the whirlpool before him, he also had an absurd thought.

Novius and Cylix had their souls destroyed. If he could find more Destiny Stones to recover their souls, and the blue stones to recreate their physical bodies, they could once again live.

Unfortunately, even he knew that it was only theoretically possible. In reality, it was as hard as ascending to heaven. Even Karyk couldn't find a Destiny Stone at his peak, without a big enough sacrifice, let alone him.

"Are there more Destiny Stones in this world?" he asked.

"I've never heard of any more in existence. However, if there are, they are impossible to find," Alion responded. Deep in his heart, he felt slightly bitter. If it was that easy to find a Destiny Stone, would the world have to go through such chaos?

"And the blue stones?" Gabriel still hadn't given up. He didn't know what happened to the real Novius and Cylix. He wasn't even sure if their souls were actually destroyed. Since the souls weren't absorbed by him, the chances of them being completely destroyed like the souls of Karyk's sister were slim.

So there was a possibility that he didn't even need a red stone. He just had to find the two souls in the realm of the dead. He didn't know how to go there yet, but he had faith in his future abilities. What was the real problem was the blue stone. That was absolutely necessary.

"The Aria?" Alion asked. He couldn't help but think of the past. "The Aria isn't found... It's created."

"You created it?" Gabriel asked, slightly surprised. If that was the case, it solved half his problems. "Can you make one more in that case?"

"Do you think they are some wild cabbage that can be grown whenever we want? To make one Aria, you need to kill at least over a hundred million people! Moreover, all those people have to be as strong as a Head Priest in the outside world. Only then can their soul and blood be merged to create the Aria!"

The more Alion spoke, the more nightmarish this process sounded. Killing a hundred million people with the strength of a Head Priest? Let alone the fact that there weren't more than two hundred head Priests, even if there were over a hundred million, it would've been impossible for him to kill so many!

"You mean you...?" He was slightly taken aback, thinking that Alion killed so many people, all to bring back Karyk's sister. Was he the reason the era of gods ended? He was behind it?

As if reading Gabriel's mind, Alion clarified right away. "This stone was created by Karyk after he received the Destiny Stone."

"By him...?"

So far, Gabriel had only expected Karyk to kill people who offended him. However, to think that not only he sealed his army, but he also took so many lives, all for the sake of one person...?

"That's why I told you..." Alion muttered, glancing in the direction of the whirlpool. "The girl he wanted to save so much... She was his salvation, as well as his biggest calamity."

"And now that everything is successful, you better protect her with everything you have. Don't let the sacrifices of the past be in vain," he further added. Even though he still wasn't clear what happened in the past but his words gave Gabriel a hint.

"Karyk killed so many people here. There was no way the other gods would let him do it. Without his army, he was even weaker. So all the gods joined forces to kill him?" he asked, guessing the entire story.

"If you think that's the case, you really underestimate the overlord of that era." Alion shook his head, as if outright rejecting Gabriel's guesses. "Even without his army, he wasn't someone who could be killed by the human gods."

"Also, you're wrong about one more thing," he added. "Even in the era of gods, there weren't more than a few thousand people above the strength of the Head Priests of the current era. So finding a hundred million here was impossible."

"Not here...? Then where? If this place only had a few thousand, then how could he find over a hundred million? How could he create the Aria?"

"Young man, shouldn't you be thinking about how to solve the mess outside first?" Alion tapped the forehead of Gabriel lightly, bringing him out of a daze. "There are guests waiting outside for you. How about you find a way to deal with them first?"

" The people outside?"

Gabriel had almost forgotten about them. There were the Holy Lords outside. At the same time, there were also people from the Time of Temple.

His protection formation of the City still wasn't completed. Moreover, he had heard that the real strength of the Temple of Time was even stronger than the Holy Lords. Without enough preparation, he didn't want to face them yet.

"How long until the army can be freed from that thousand oath?" he asked Alion. If he could use that army, was there even a need to be concerned for now?

"Still over a month left," Alion answered. "After a month, when the seal would've opened, this Palace would've appeared in the world once again. However, you forcefully opened this place ahead of time. The seal on the forbidden army won't be lifted before the scheduled time. So don't think about using them for now."

Gabriel frowned. Lost in thoughts, he walked back and forth in the beautiful mist-covered hall.

"So if I go out and fight them, not only will I risk them finding out about the army that's sealed here, but it'll also make them bring out all the forces of the Temple of Time. It would really waste a good opportunity."

"The best option would've been to wait a month before having any conflict. The protective formation of the City would've been ready by then as well, to give me some extra boost. I was really hasty in trying to uncover the mystery behind the garden..."

Gabriel felt slightly upset, but at the same time, he didn't lose hope. He was sure there were still ways to salvage the situation.

"Can I stay here for a month?" he asked Alion. "If they can't enter this place, then I can just leave with the army after a month."

Alion shook his head in response. "Even if you stay here for a few more days without controlling the situation outside and the main forces of the Temple of Time came to the battlefield, then the barrier of this place wouldn't last. They might even destroy the forbidden army while it's sealed."

undefined"Everyone thinks that the Temple of Time was looking for the Orb of Time for close to a thousand years. But that's not the entire truth," he further explained. "The Temple of Time had also been looking for Karyk's castle where the Forbidden Army was sealed. They wanted to destroy the army before the seal was opened. If you let them succeed, you'll be in big trouble."

"That's why I told you to focus more on the present than the past!"

Even though Alion was talking about how risky the situation was, he didn't look particularly concerned at all. It was unclear if it was just because of his faith in Gabriel, or he had already taken some precautions of his own for emergencies.

"You're right." Gabriel seemingly agreed. "The best way to deal with the situation is to delay them. I can't risk the forbidden army being destroyed before their seal is broken! I need their strength!"

Even though Gabriel was clear about what he had to do, Alion was intrigued about what the young man planned.

"Do you have a way to delay them?" he asked Gabriel.

Gabriel glanced at the whirlpool of energy which was intensifying in the distance, as if thinking of something. "I do have a plan, but I'm not sure if it'll work or not."

"Delaying them for a month is easier said than done. I would need your help if I want to succeed," he told Alion.

"What do you need?" Alion asked, somewhat interested. He didn't know what Gabriel was planning, but looking in Gabriel's eyes, he had a feeling that the young man was quite confident about this plan.

"I need you to teach me everything you know about this place. I want to know how to control this entire place!"

"That's easy to achieve. Now that the seal above this space is already opened by you, the rest is easy for you to control." Alion reached out his hand and placed his finger on Gabriel's forehead, sending some information straight to the young man's head.

Gabriel remained still, trying to assimilate all the knowledge he had received.

After around half an hour, he finally succeeded and opened his eyes. "This makes it a little easier. There is one more thing I need you to do. If Avilia was here, I could've taken her help, but in this situation, only you can do it. Moreover, it's the most important part of the plan!"

Alion couldn't help but have a bad feeling about it as he noticed the devilish glint in Gabriel's eyes. "What do you want?"

"You need to be the bait," Gabriel answered. He explained the entire plan to Alion, from the start to the finish.

Alion smiled wryly,unable to believe that this was the plan Gabriel came up with. Even though the plan was feasible, it was the first time in his life that he was being used as bait. Unfortunately, just as Gabriel had said, they didn't have many options but to go forward with the plan.

The success of this plan didn't eliminate all the risks of the future, yet it was better than anything he imagined it to be. The

"Alright. We'll go with your plan." He agreed in the end.

Outside the Garden of Legacy, the barrier around the Empire was already broken by the combined strength of all the Holy Lords.

All the Holy Lords who were outside rushed inside, straight to the source of this strange energy.

Reaching near the Garden of Legacy, they noticed Avilia standing near the entrance. They all landed next to her as well, asking her to explain the situation.

Only the Holy Lord of Wind wasn't at the sight. He was still sitting above the Royal Castle in the distance, just keeping an eye. On the situation. "What a chaotic situation. Almost everyone is here."

Avilia told the Holy Lords about the things that everyone in the city already knew. She didn't tell them about the details that only she knew. However, the things she said were already enough for the Holy Lords to be wary of the situation, especially when they noticed the Envoys from the Temple of Time.

"The Temple of Time is here at will. This matter really isn't small," The Holy Lord of Earth stated. "We should talk to the Temple of Time. They don't come out often. They must know about the situation in depth."

"Who cares what the situation is about. All I know is that the person I'm looking for is inside that garden! I will kill him myself!" The Holy Lord of Flames didn't care about anyone else. He had come here for one reason only. It was only for revenge!

He clenched his fist. The deep dark flame burned around his fist. He even used a strengthening spell on himself as he rushed inside the garden of legacy.

Boom~

It hadn't even been a second since the Holy Lord of Flames rushed inside that an explosive sound resounded.

The next moment, a blazing figure shot out of the garden, clashing with a wall in the distance. Even the wall couldn't stop the momentum of the Holy Lord of Flames. His body broke through many more walls before finally stopping.

"These barbarians," the Envoy from the Temple of Time Ozen sighed. "Did they really think they could enter when we couldn't?"

Everyone was slightly distracted by the Holy Lord of Wind. However, their expressions soon changed as everyone abruptly turned toward the Garden of Legacy!

Gabriel had finally come out of the garden and he was flying high in the sky above the garden.

"Someone is outside?"

"He is...?"

The Envoys from the Temple of Time, as well as the Holy Priests, all looked at the figure that had rushed out of the Garden of Legacy, flying high above their heads. While they couldn't even get close to the garden, the person came out straight from inside.

"Is he the one who opened this place?" Ozen wondered, looking up.

No matter who it was, he had to catch that person to get answers.

undefinedHowever, strangely enough, that person was covered in a shroud made entirely of Light! No one could even see the face of that person. The only thing that they could see was the Ancestral Staff of Light and the Holy Grimoire of Light that was floating before the person!

There were some traces of blood, as if a fierce battle took place not long ago.

"The Holy Priest of Light?" The Holy Lord of Flames came out of the rubble he was buried under, surprised to find the Holy Lord of Light.

Not many people knew that the Holy Lord of Light was also the same person that they called the Holy Lord of Darkness.

"What is he doing here? Didn't he go to the Lost City of Gods?" The Holy Priestess of Earth was also slightly surprised. It hadn't been long before the meeting of Saints where they were all informed about his absence. To think that he came out straight from the core of this chaos.

Fortunately, since Gabriel was shrouded in light, they didn't attack Gabriel directly before finding out the truth.

While everyone was confused and wanted to approach Gabriel, the earth started trembling!

Boom~

A loud explosion was heard! The explosive sound was heard all around the Empire! It was as if the explosion was strong enough to destroy an entire City!

A wave of fire rushed out of the Garden of Legacy, high in the sky as if it was caused by the explosion that took place inside the Garden of Legacy.

Gabriel moved back, barely avoiding the explosion that caught him by surprise. Despite moving fast, he could still be seen hurt through his movements.

The Envoys of Temple of Time frowned yet they didn't step forward. They were curious as to what the situation was. The explosive inside the garden of legacy was as if someone had attacked that place.

Gabriel flew about fifty meters back. Through the white shroud, no one could see him, but from his gestures, it looked as if he really was exhausted.

Gabriel looked in the direction of the other Holy Lords. He didn't say anything and shifted his focus back to the garden again,as if he was waiting for something.

The Holy Priestess of Earth flew up, standing next to the Holy Lord of Light.

"What's the situation?" She asked.

The other Holy Lords also caught up. Amongst all of them, only Avilia was looking at the Holy Lord of Light weirdly, as if she was wondering just what kind of act Gabriel was playing now!

Could it really be true that he wasn't behind the strange phenomenon in the garden? Or was he pretending for a specific reason? No matter what, she wasn't going to expose him.

The Envoys of the Temple of Time also flew up. "Did you open this place? What did you see inside?"

Unlike the Holy Lords, Gabriel could genuinely feel some killing intent from the Envoys of the Temple of Time.

"I didn't open it," Gabriel answered. "He did..."

"He?" Ozen looked in the direction Gabriel was looking. The Garden of Legacy was still covered in darkness. However, a heavy amount of killing intent rushed out from that place.

The killing intent was overbearing. It was as if the killing intent alone could kill many people, without anyone having to take any action.

Following the killing intent, another figure rushed out of the garden. The figure was surrounded by darkness. It was impossible to see if it was a man or a woman since the person had a long cloak to cover him.

The person faced the others, all alone. However, for now, there was no battle. It was as if both sides were observing the enemies.

"He's the one who opened it!" Gabriel explained. "I was passing through here when I felt a strange aura coming from this garden. When I came, this person was already here."

"I chased after him through the portal that he opened since I didn't feel comfortable letting him do as he pleased, only to find out that the other side was too dangerous to be left alive!"

"What do you mean? What is inside the garden?" The Holy Priestess of Summoning asked as her face twitched. She didn't know who the dark robed person was, but she didn't believe a single word of Gabriel.

"An army... An army that was still sealed but if they were freed, they could ravage the entire continent. The goal of that person was to free that army. And if I was late, he would've succeeded as well," Gabriel answered, sounding extremely righteous.

"I had to exhaust all my strength to destroy that place before rushing out!" he added. "Unfortunately, he still survived..."

"So that explosion... It was because if you attacking the other space?" Litvia from the Temple of Time asked.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't find any flaws in the story. She couldn't believe it either.

While everyone was still thinking about Gabriel's words, the dark figure in the distance spoke. "You destroyed everything! The goal that I've been working for a lifetime...all destroyed because of you! I will kill you all!"

At the same time, Gabriel flicked a finger without anyone noticing. His ring of Necromancy shone momentarily, unnoticed by others.

As if the ring was the key to the other space, the Darkness that was covering the Garden of Legacy slowly disappeared.

There was no portal there anymore! Instead, the entire garden appeared to have been destroyed. It was covered with chaotic spatial energy, as if the spatial channel that was in this place had collapsed completely.

The strange phenomenon also verified Gabriel's story that he had destroyed the other space, along with the words of the dark figure.

"You are not strong enough!" Gabriel exclaimed, proudly taking the lead. However, before attacking, he coughed out a mouthful of blood, as if he had been injured in the battle before. He couldn't just let others see that he was completely fine or that was going to leave flaws in his story.

Moreover, the real plan was still to come into play.

Gabriel's act worked as well. Initially, he was going to send a mental transmission to Avilia to ask her to play a scene with him to get him out of this battle, but he didn't expect things to work even better!

Before he could ask Avilia what he wanted to do, Litvia from the Temple of Time took the lead. "You are hurt and too weak now. You'll only slow us down and become a burden. Get away."

Even though she was initially suspicious, now she had more or less fallen for Gabriel's story. No Holy Lord of Light had ever worked with the Holy Lord of Darkness after all. Even if they worked together, it would've been too stupid to destroy the spatial channel for the small act. She didn't have much room to doubt.

Gabriel was pleasantly surprised. In his heart, he was even thanking Litvia for falling for his ruse. Now that the first part of the plan was completed, the rest was much easier. It all depended on the bait...

"I can still fight!" Gabriel scoffed.

undefinedWhen Litvia told Gabriel to back out, Avilia felt as if Gabriel wasn't opposed to it. In fact, it felt as if he wanted it. Even though his words said otherwise, she felt as if deep inside, he really wasn't opposing backing out.

Since he was playing, she decided to help him as well. In any case, she didn't believe that Gabriel and the dark figure were enemies. If that was the case, that dark figure wouldn't have come out alive. She knew the true strength of Gabriel after all.

"She's partially right," Avilia agreed. "It's not that you'll be a burden, but you're injured now. You've already done a lot to stop whatever that person planned. You should rest now."

"Don't worry! I already have a score to settle with that guy! You can rest!" The Holy Lord of Flames was already furious since his home was destroyed. And now the culprit was the dark figure before him, according to him. He wanted to kill that person himself!

"Yeah. All of us should be enough. You can rest first. We'll deal with the rest." The Holy Lord of Earth chimed in.

Through this act, not only did Gabriel manage to distract everyone else for the time being, he also became a hero from a villain.

If the Holy Lord of Flames found out that the person he was asking to help was the one he wanted to kill, it was unclear just what kind of expression he was going to have. In his story, Gabriel was one of the heroes while he was also the biggest villain.

"I-" Gabriel tried speaking, but in the middle, he coughed blood again, showing some traces of having internal injuries.

He looked at the blood in his hands, sighing. "Looks like I really can't participate. The internal injuries I got in the previous battle with him are getting worse."

He flew down, while also exclaiming. "Everything depends on you now! You can't let him escape! When I'm done treating my internal injuries, I'll join the battle with you!"

Gabriel landed in the distance. His body was still covered in a white shroud so no one could see his smirk.

In fact, even Alion in the distance was surprised at how well Gabriel could act. This guy really was different from Karyk to some extent, despite being similar.

Karyk was a straightforward person his entire life. He never took help from any tricks. He spoke what came in his heart, never filtering anything. Then again, he had absolute strength so he didn't need to fool anyone either. He could just beat everyone who opposed him.

'If he had this trait in the past, I wonder if things could've been different...' Alion wondered, still hidden by the cloak he had received from Gabriel. It was also Gabriel that shrouded him in that dark aura of death to help his disguise.

He shook his head lightly, remembering to stay in the act.

"You people have destroyed my plan! And now you want to kill me?" he asked. "You really overestimate yourself."

The Holy Lords wanted to capture Alion to get more answered. The Temple of Time envoys also wanted to capture him, so they could take him to their base and interrogate him thoroughly to find out if the forbidden army was actually hurt, and how much he knew about Karyk!

Despite having similar goals, both sides worked separately, attacking Alion.

Gabriel stood in the group, watching the battle in the sky. He wasn't worried about Alion at all. Alion was a Demigod! If he hadn't asked Alion to play along, he could've easily defeated all the Holy Lords and the envoys.

Unfortunately, their end goal wasn't these envoys and these Holy Lords. What they wanted to avoid was the people behind them! At least for a month until the Forbidden Army was actually free from their thousand year shackles to roam the earth again!

If Alion actually defeated these people, the higher ups from the Temple of Time were going to come next. Even the Gods might descend to check the situation since the forbidden army was a bigger threat to them than anything else. If that wasn't the case, they wouldn't have requested Karyk to seal it!

What was even worse was that if Alion actually fought all of them on an equal footing, then it was definitely going to raise some suspicions in their mind, as to how Gabriel didn't die in the hands of such a powerful person and also managed to destroy the army and spatial channel from right under his nose.

Gabriel had already played his part to perfection. He already closed the spatial channel to the Palace while also leaving some spatial cracks in the garden to give the impression of the spatial channel collapsing because of the explosion.

Now all he had to do was just watch out from behind, and fan the flames for the next month, to make sure they didn't invite the stronger beings from the Temple of Time and the others.

The battle in the sky was intensifying. However, just as Gabriel wanted, Alion wasn't fighting back properly. He was only using a fraction of his strength to give the impression that he was fighting with all he got!

The battle was taking high in the sky, yet the tremors of all the attacks could be felt in the city. The citizens were already hiding in whatever safe space they could find to avoid accidentally being killed by the energy waves of the attacks.

So far, everything was going according to plan. All Alion had to do now was to escape while pretending to be injured.

Unfortunately, just as Gabriel was starting to relax, he felt some spatial chaos behind him. The energy he felt coming through the spatial chaos didn't seem like something he felt before.

Frowning, he turned around. His face darkened.

Feeling a peculiar energy coming from behind him, Gabriel turned around.

Not too far from him, he could see a spatial portal that was not much bigger from an ordinary door. However, the energy that could be felt coming from that door didn't seem to belong to this place.

Initially, he thought that more people from the Temple of Time had already arrived, only to remember that they came through a door. To come through the portal wasn't something that was said to be related to the Temple of Time since they couldn't control space to that extent.

However, if this wasn't the Temple of Time, then that created a bigger concern for Gabriel. Just who was the person that arrived?

Gabriel still didn't cancel the shroud of Light. No matter who it was, he didn't want to reveal his real identity, especially when the battle behind was still raging on.

undefinedFrom the portal, someone stepped out. However, looking at that person, Gabriel felt somewhat weird.

He expected some powerful being to come out from the portal, but the person who came out appeared to be only a child.

A little girl, who looked like she was barely twelve or thirteen years old came out of the portal, yawning as if she had just woken up from sleep and was still feeling a little sleepy.

The girl was short, not even coming up to Gabriel's shoulders. However, what was strange was that despite looking very ordinary, the woman was dragging a heavy Sword behind her which was twice her size.

The heavy Sword was being dragged by the woman with ease. It didn't look as if the woman was dragging the heavy Sword because it was heavy, but instead because she was too lazy to carry it properly.

As the Sword was dragged on the concrete road, a one meter deep mark was left behind, leaving its trail.

No matter what, that Sword didn't look like an ordinary weapon. And to see a little girl drag it with ease was even more surprising. Gabriel was really curious about the little girl's identity.

The little girl stopped not too far from Gabriel, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she looked up in the sky, completely ignoring Gabriel.

"You're still alive, old man?" The little girl asked. Even though the girl tried hard to stay awake, it was as if she could fall asleep at any time.

The girl didn't speak loudly. She only used an ordinary tone. However, despite that, her words were heard far and wide. Even high in the sky, the battle that was raging on had stopped as Alion flew back, stunned after hearing that voice.

The Holy Lords also looked down. As they saw the little girl who had spoken, they were a little confused. They didn't recognise who that person was. It was their first time seeing that person.

Even the envoys from the Temple of Time couldn't recognise her. Despite that, they could feel that the little girl wasn't weak. If anything, she was a lot stronger than all of them combined, which made them even more confused. How could they not hear about someone so strong who looked so young?

The person who was most surprised to see that little girl here was none other than Alion. It was as if he was the only person who recognised that little girl.

"Who is this girl?" Gabriel asked Alion through a silent transmission to Alion. "You seem to know her. Is she a friend?"

"She is... bad news. If she gets involved in the battle, I'd have to use all my strength. And even then, I won't be sure if I could win the battle," Alion responded, frowning.

"She is that strong?" Gabriel was slightly taken aback. Even though he knew her sword was a treasure, but to know that her strength was something that could even alert Alion was nothing to scoff at.

"If that's the case, then you can't fight her," he told Alion. "No matter what, you can't show your real strength for now. This place will get too crowded when you do. Leave. This much fighting should be enough for now."

"I'm afraid it's too late to leave now. If she came here, it's probably because she also sensed the opening of the Palace and my presence here. She won't let me leave that easily. I can only fight here," Alion replied, getting serious.

He hadn't faught seriously yet but now he was prepared. "She still hasn't sensed your real identity because of the shroud. You should slowly retreat from the battlefield. I'll handle the rest."

"No need." Since Alion wasn't sure if he could defeat the little girl or not, Gabriel didn't want to leave him behind. He was the only person who could help him with his knowledge in the future after all.

Moreover, if the truth was out because of Alion fighting at full strength, the next step was the arrival of the full strength of Temple of Time which was an even bigger problem. He couldn't allow that.

"I have a plan... That should allow you a safe retreat," he added.

"What plan?" Alion asked. In this situation, it wasn't easy to get out without a fight unless he revealed his real strength.

For a moment, there was only silence as Alion looked at the little girl on the ground. No one knew that the reason he wasn't speaking was because he was listening to Gabriel's plan.

After he finished hearing the entire plan, his expression turned slightly weird. This kind of plan... He really didn't know he could've come up with it on his own. It was just too shameless yet genius.

"After hidingā€”" the girl spoke, but before she could even speak properly, Alion interrupted her, not allowing her to say something that could convince the others that they weren't friends.

"Old friend, you're finally here! Good!" Alion exclaimed, sounding pleasantly surprised. "I didn't expect you to come out to help me as well. Just as I was getting pushed back and was about to be defeated, you are here! We can kill all of them together!"

"Huh?" The little girl frowned, not understanding what was happening. She even wondered if Alion hit her head somewhere and went crazy. Why was he calling her an old friend? Usually, he would've been the first person to rush ahead to fight her.

"Even though I'm already exhausted, but I can still distract them! You are much stronger than me! While I delay them, you can take the opportunity to attack them from behind! Alion further stated, making sure his voice was heard by everyone around him.

"Huh?" The more the little girl heard, the more confused she became. Since when did they become friends? Why would she help him fight these people? Heck, did he even need her help to deal with these people?

For a moment, she even wondered if she was still asleep and dreaming. She turned to Gabriel. "Pinch me."

"What?"

"I told you to pinch me. I want to know if I'm still sleeping," the little girl said. Even though her strength was said to be quite high, her voice was like she was really a little child.

Gabriel was slightly amused by her reaction. The girl was much older than him, and around the same age as Alion according to Alion, but despite that, she still appeared somewhat naive, asking to be pinched to test if she was in a dream.

undefinedGabriel did as he was asked, using his left hand. He placed his hand on the little girl's cheeks and pinched with a little force.

"Oww!" The girl ribbed her cheeks. "This doesn't seem like a dream. Then did he really go crazy or something?"

Unfortunately, while she was still trying to understand the situation, the scene above was quite different. The little girl was a stranger to the Holy Lord and the Temple of Time. However, they knew that the girl was strong... Probably even stronger than Alion.

Since that was the case, just a few sentences from Alion managed to create some concerns in their heart about the girl actually working with him. None of them wanted to be attacked from the back by the girl, especially since the girl just came while Alion was still exhausted.

The Temple of Time wanted to take down the person who entered the garden of legacy. The envoys didn't want to let Alion escape. However, they couldn't leave the little girl to attack them either.

"We will capture the man. You hold back the little girl," Ozen told the Holy Lords, splitting their work. "After we finish capturing him, we'll join you against that girl."

Usually, Ozen and Litvia didn't need any help. They were sure that they could catch Alion. However, the equation had changed with the arrival of the little girl who even they couldn't see through.

The Holy Lords wanted to catch Alion as well, but they also knew being attacked from behind was the worst situation they could be in.

"You deal with her. I'll be here to take down that man," the Holy Lord of Flames agreed to stay behind to fight Alion while sending the other Holy Lords down to down against the little girl.

It didn't take long for the plan to be finalized. Even though the Holy Lords and the Temple of Time hadn't worked together before, but in this situation, they decided to do it since there was just too much at stake.

Just as it was planned, the two Envoys and the Holy Lord of Flame stayed behind to deal with Alion as soon as possible. At the same time, the other Holy Lords came back and landed before the little girl.

Gabriel had already expected what was going to happen next. He sneakily stepped back, creating more distance. He didn't want to be a part of any battle. All he wanted was to make the situation even more chaotic for the two sides so that Alion could have time to escape.

The little girl was still wondering when she became Alion's friend. She still hadn't realized that Alion had lied to her to use her against his enemies. In fact, the girl even roamed through her memories, trying to remember all her meetings with Alion to see if she forgot something which could give Alion the impression that they were friends.

Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything.

"Young lady, please drop your weapon. If possible, we don't want to fight you. Just cooperate with us and surrender!" Holy Holy Priestess of Lightning said, bringing the little girl out of her daze.

The little girl looked back at the Holy Lords. However, she didn't feel anything worth worrying about. If anything, she completely ignored her and started flying up, dragging her heavy sword behind her.

The little girl was flying straight to Alion. She first wanted to beat him up and then ask him when they became friends in the first place.

Unfortunately, just as she rose in the sky, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, falling straight on the little girl.

In the eyes of the Holy Lords, the reason the little girl was flying high in the sky was because she wanted to help Alion. Somehow, this made them completely believe Alion's words.

No matter what, they couldn't let her get close to Alion.

None of the two sides realized that the person who really instigated them was lazily standing in the back, with the support of a wall as if he was watching a show.

The lightning bolt was cast by the Holy Priestess of Lightning. It was strong enough to burn anything in its path. However, despite the bright bolt of lightning, the little girl wasn't scared.

She just raised her heavy Sword, creating a slash.

A bright red arc of light came from her sword, breaking apart the lightning bolt as if it was child's play. Even after destroying the lightning bolt, the arc of red light didn't stop.

The attack flew straight to the sky. For a moment, it appeared as if the entire sky was split in two, thanks to the little girl's random attack. Spatial cracks developed everywhere, telling the strength of a seemingly random attack.

In the back, even Gabriel was slightly taken aback. When Alion said that the girl was on the same level as him, he didn't expect her strength to be this high!

'One Sword to split the sky? Just who is this girl?' Gabriel frowned.

What surprised him even more was Alion! According to Alion, he was at least as strong as this little girl. Gabriel already expected him to be quite strong but only now did he realize that he had still underestimated him quite a lot.

'Is this the strength of a Demigod? In that case, just how strong would a god be?' Gabriel frowned, looking at the back of his right hand.

He understood one thing. It was that he needed more strength! Strength to be able to face all his enemies. He couldn't rely on Karyk's army of undead for everything either! He needed something tangible! He needed to become strong on his own as well.

While Gabriel came to a realization, the battle in the sky had intensified. The little girl was successfully infuriated!

Thud~

Multiple figures crashed on the ground, leaving heavy craters wherever they fell. Two of those even fell on some houses, bringing the house crashing down.

Gabriel expected the little girl to keep the Holy Lords engaged for some time, but even he didn't expect the little girl to end the battle so fast. It hadn't even been ten seconds since she was attacked and all the Holy Lords were already lying on the ground.

Even Gabriel was amazed at the little girl's strength. Her attack was so fast that he couldn't see it clearly. Now he finally understood why Alion was telling him that this little girl was troublesome!

'Good. The more troublesome she is, the easier it will be for Alion.'

undefinedEven after all this, Gabriel still didn't interfere in the battle. If anything, he went to the Holy Lord of Summoning who had fallen closest to her.

The Holy Lord of Summoning had summoned quite a few of her beasts, yet all of them were destroyed in an instant. A trace of blood could be seen on her lips.

"Are you alright?" Gabriel jumped inside the crater and reached out his hand to help Avilia up.

"Do I look alright?" Avilia grabbed Gabriel's hands and stood up before wiping the blood off her lips. "Just who is that little girl? Just what exactly are you planning today?"

"Would you believe me if I tell you that I don't know her and that I have nothing to do with her arrival today?"

"Only an idiot would believe you." Avilia rubbed her aching shoulder.

Gabriel moved closer to Avilia and whispered in her ears. "All I can tell you is that the little girl isn't a child. She's much older than she looks. Moreover, she's most probably also a Demigod, and a strong one at that."

"Even if you summon your strongest beasts, you might not be able to slow her down. So just step back from this battle and pretend to be injured," he further reminded the young lady while wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Avilia had already realized how troublesome that little girl was. Even though she hadn't Summoned her strongest beasts to face the little girl, she didn't expect them to succeed either.

Moreover, since Gabriel seemed to know about the situation, she decided to listen to him.

She leaned on him for support, pretending to be extremely weak.

Avilia was a Summoner and she was known to be weak when it came to her physique. She relied on her beasts to fight after all, so it was easy for her to fool others by pretending to be hurt that easily.

Gabriel carried Avilia out of the crater and away from the battlefield.

Seeing the Holy Lords beaten so swiftly, even the Temple of Time Envoys were stunned. By now, it was clear to them that the little girl was a Demigod level being! They couldn't take her lightly! For them, she was much more dangerous than Alion and they couldn't allow her to attack her from behind.

"Litvia, come with me to hold that little girl back!" The Temple of Time envoys left only the Holy Lord of Flames behind temporarily to delay Alion while going to stop the little girl themselves.

"I dealt with a few insects and more came!" The little girl yawned lazily. "Then so be it. If you stop me from dealing with my matters, then I'll just have to deal with you first."

Unlike the Holy Lords who underestimated the girls and were injured right away, the Temple of Time Envoys didn't take her lightly after seeing her skills!

They both held the gems that were around their chest and pulled those little red gems out.

The small gems turned into the purest form of energy, before condensing into the form of a blood red Sword.

The sword was unique and had an hourglass carved on the hilt. However, that hourglass appeared to be alive as if time was passing slowly inside the sword.

"They really aren't taking her lightly," Avilia muttered, looking at the two blood red swords.

"Do you know those swords?" Gabriel asked, finding those swords to be somewhat extraordinary.

"I've read about them," Avilia answered. "The red crystals that all the envoys carry are said to be the lifeline of the Temple of Time. These crystals are what provide them with the strength that they display."

"Each member of the Temple of Time has one such crystal and the size of these crystals show the level of their strength. However, that's not the only use of those crystals. These crystals can even transform into weapons for them."

" These swords are quite extraordinary. If I were to estimate, the Sword made by the leader of the Temple of Time should be on the same level as a Holy Grimoire... Categorized as a disaster level item!"

"The swords of these envoys are a little weaker, but they still can't be underestimated. If even a small cut is left behind on the body of an ordinary person by these swords, your body ages by at least ten years. The stronger the person, the more life they lose!"

The more Avilia explained, the more Gabriel was stunned. An ordinary human had a lifespan of less than a hundred years. That meant even if a person received just ten scratches from this sword and no life threatening wound, they were still going to die!

What was worse was that the effect was even stronger for stronger beings!

"This sword... Isn't it too strong then?" Gabriel frowned. Even for Demigod level beings, the sword could easily kill them after a few light cuts?

"Of course these swords are strong. How else do you think the Temple of Time became such a fierce existence that even the Churches were hesitant to stand against them?" Avilia smiled wryly.

She was still in Gabriel's embrace, avoiding the battle while explaining. "What's more is that it's really hard to avoid the sword. Not only does that sword increase the strength of the user by around ten times, but it also increases their speed, which makes it almost impossible to avoid their attacks!"

Gabriel looked at the two swords in amazement. This kind of sword appeared to be even stronger than Ulien's sword that he used. However he still couldn't understand one thing. "Why didn't they use this sword when fighting Alion before?"

'If the sword was that strong, it made sense for them to use it more often. In their eyes, Alion was weak. If they wanted to deal with the little girl, they should've thought about using that Sword to take out Alion first.'

Gabriel had a feeling that there were more secrets behind the sword than the Temple of Time showed before the world

It was just as Avilia had said. As soon as the swords came out, Gabriel could feel that the entire temperament of the two Envoys changed. Their movements were more Swift and more strength could be felt from them.

The two Envoys disappeared from their spot, appearing right before the little girl, blocking her path.

"You are strong," Ozen stated as his grip tightened around his sword. "Possibly stronger than anyone we have ever faced before. You deserve us going all out before you! However, that's the extent of how far you can go!"

He raised his sword, pointing it straight at the little girl in the distance. "Now that you've forced us to bring it out, this battle can only end with your death to make up for the waste..."

It was proving hard even for Gabriel to keep an eye on their movement. It was as if the two Envoys had speed that was comparable to the realm of teleportation the way they moved just now.

undefined The little girl still didn't appear seriously, lazily yawning. "I feel so sleepy. I just want to take him with me and leave. Why does it have to be so hard?"

Seeing the girl underestimating him, even Ozen couldn't keep himself calm. Now that the sword was out, it was hard even for him to control his emotions, especially since there were too many restrictions and flaws on the Sword.

The world knew these swords as invincible, but only the people from the Temple of Time knew just how dangerous these swords actually were... Not just for the enemies but for the users as well.

Everytime the sword was called out, it took ten percent of the owner's life from them. In their entire life, a person could only use this Sword ten times! That's why everyone was so hesitant in calling the sword out as long as it wasn't absolutely necessary.

What was even worse was that everytime the sword was called out, it could only remain in the sword form for ten minutes. The live hourglass that was on the hilt of the sword showed those ten minutes passing away.

As soon as the hourglass was empty, the swords could only return to their crystal form.

The envoys didn't think that Alion was worth them calling out their swords. Even if they had to call out their swords, it had to be for the little girl for it to be justified!

Fortunately, this was exactly what Gabriel wanted them to do. He wanted them to underestimate Alion.

Now that there was only the Holy Lord of Flames left to stop Alion, it was time to end the charade.

Gabriel sent a message to Alion secretly, telling him to end this. Now that they had found a perfect distraction, they could easily leave the rest to the little girl. Who could be a better distraction than her in this situation.

As soon as Alion received the instructions, he prepared himself. This time, he didn't avoid the attack of the Holy Lord of Flames! In fact, he even lowered his defense so as to leave some more wounds.

After facing the attack, Alion coughed out a mouthful of blood. "Argh!I didn't expect you to be this strong! You destroyed all my defense and treasures! I can't last longer like this!"

He held his chest, coughing out more blood.

"If I wasn't injured, I would've killed you today! You all destroyed my plans today! Next time we meet, will be the day you die!"

After finishing his pretentious act, Alion weakly brought out a talisman that was given to him by Gabriel.

It was one of the thousand mile teleportation talisman that Gabriel stole from the Academy of Elements. By showing this talisman, it once again proved that Alion was the person who robbed the Academy, linking all pieces of puzzle to separate the Holy Lord of Light from the equation, proving Gabriel's innocence!

Seeing the Talisman, the Holy Lord of Flames was stunned.

"Yo-" He tried to stop Alion, but before he could even move, Alion used the talisman and disappeared.

"Holy Lord of Light! You destroyed my army! A righteous person like you can't be allowed to live! I'll kill you the next time I see you! You're my mortal enemy now!"

Only his voice was left behind along with his last warning

Watching the scene, even Gabriel was flabbergasted. This kind of overacting... Even he found it somewhat cringe. It was as if Alion was trolling him before leaving.

"Righteous... Hahaha." Even Avilia couldn't control her laughter any longer. Fortunately, no one heard her.

"Stop laughing!" Gabriel rolled his eyes, pinching Avilia's waist tightly, making Avilia cry lightly in pain.

In one end, Alion had already escaped, surprising the two Temple of Time envoys. They had only left for a few seconds and the one they wanted to capture already escaped! They were furious.

"You're useless! You couldn't even hold an injured weakling back? I should never have left this task to trash like you!"

The Holy Lord of Flame was also angry, being scolded like this. However, more than that, he was angry at himself. The person who destroyed his home escaped from right under his nose.

He couldn't let Alion escape. He knew that the talisman could only send a person upto thousand miles away. There was still a chance to catch up.

Without thinking twice, the Holy Lord of Flames selected a random direction and flew as fast as possible. He also created many more flame clones, sending them all in different directions to find 'injured' Alion.

On the other side, the little girl was looking at everyone weirdly. They were calling Alion weak? Did they all lose their minds? She also couldn't understand why Alion left, instead of killing them all.

Despite her strength, the little girl couldn't understand human schemes and treachery.

"Now that your friend escaped, you are our last clue! Don't even think about escaping!"

With Alion's departure, everyone's attention was now on the little girl.

Gabriel felt somewhat bad for using the girl like that, but he still didn't interfere. He had a feeling that even with the sword, they weren't a match for the little girl who could even intimidate Alion. She was also from the era of gods after all.

The little girl didn't even bother with the people before her and turned around, trying to find the new location of Alion.

Unfortunately, the two Envoys thought that she was also trying to escape and attacked her.

Ozen appeared right before the girl, thrusting his sword.

His sword stabbed right through the chest of the little girl. The attack was successful. However, Ozen's expressions didn't look pleasant. Instead, he was even more disturbed.

Even as Ozen's sword passed through the girl's body, he only felt as if his sword had passed through empty air and not a real person.

Just as he expected, the little girl that he had stabbed dispersed, as if the attack had only managed to hit her afterimage and not her real self.

"Your speed is not bad... It's almost comparable to mine with my sword" The little girl appeared around thirty meters away from Ozen and Litvia.

Unlike the little girl who just complimented the speed of the two Envoys, the two Envoys were even more stunned. Even with the sword, they could barely match the speed of the little girl.

"She is fast..." Gabriel muttered.

undefinedThe two Envoys only had a short time where they could fight with the sword and they couldn't waste this time.

No matter how fast the little girl was, they could only go all out. Moreover, thanks to the Holy Lords, their pressure came down a little.

The little girl was surrounded from all sides, leaving no place to escape. What was even worse was that the Holy Lords had managed to seal the space, making it unable for the little girl to escape using any talisman. They didn't want to make the same mistake they did with Alion.

What was even more was that all the Holy Lords used their unique skill. Since they couldn't defeat the little girl with straight attacks, they left the part about fighting to the two Envoys.

Unlike their attacks that the little girl swiftly destroyed without even moving, the attack of Ozen was avoided which gave them the impression that the little girl was scared of the swords.

The Holy Lords each cast their unique skill. The Holy Lord of Water cast Illusory water prison all around the little girl, which could make it impossible for any person to love.

The Holy Lord of Earth cast a spell which pulled the little girl toward the ground, increasing the gravity on the girl while making it harder for her to stay in the air. The gravity also slowed down her speed.

All the other Holy Lords each contributed a little, either to slow the little girl down, or to weaken her defense.

Through their successful cooperation, they had managed to decrease the speed of the little girl by upto fifty percent.

Even the little girl seemed somewhat amazed at the fighting style of the people before her. They were really targeting her weakness. However, there was still no fear on her face.

"At first, I was in a hurry to leave. However, it looks like there's no need to leave so soon. It's been long since I played around to my heart's content." The little girl raised her heavy swords.

Everything prepared for the coming attack. However, the girl didn't attack them. Instead, she tossed the sword toward Gabriel on the ground.

Gabriel moved back, barely avoiding the sword.

"Does she know I was behind it?" Gabriel wondered. As soon as the sword landed on the ground, it made the entire City tremble under its weight. Cracks developed all around and even some houses came crashing down once again.

Gabriel knew that the weight of the sword was a lot, but to cause such a phenomenon was even beyond his expectations.

"Take care of my sword," the little girl told Gabriel, as if she didn't have any intention to attack in the first place, and was just giving the sword to Gabriel for safekeeping. In the entire place, only Gabriel hadn't attacked her after all.

"And you say you don't know that girl," Avilia rolled her eyes. Even the other Holy Lords felt that something was wrong. The girl was trusting the Holy Lord of Light so much.

However, for now, they couldn't be distracted. They put all their attention on the little girl before them as the two Envoys attacked in perfect sync, as if predicting all the movement of the little girl.

Many people thought that with so many Holy Lords in the fray, the little girl had no chance to escape. Even Avilia thought that it was going to be hard for the little girl with so many people going all out to capture her.

However, the outcome turned out to be quite different.

The spells that had slowed down the little girl by upto fifty percent were proving to be of no use! As soon as the little girl got rid of the heavy Sword, her speed shot up by an extraordinary amount.

If she was fast like a cat in the past, then now she was like a leopard. Even when her speed was fifty percent lower than her peak speed, that speed was still twice as much as her peak speed with the sword.

The battle... It wasn't the fierce struggle that everyone thought it to be. It wasn't a long lasting battle either. Instead, it was like a deity was playing around with kids.

Even Gabriel couldn't see the little girl with how fast she was moving. He had to take help of spells to increase his perception to know where that little girl was. She was like a bolt of lightning flashing everywhere.

The two Envoys couldn't even catch her afterimage, let alone being able to wound her.

'Is this the level of a Demigod? I thought Demigods of the past used to be as strong as the Holy Lords of now. But I really underestimated them.'

Gabriel watched the Holy Lords fall down like shooting stars, crashing on the ground once again. Even the best of their shields couldn't prevent them from being hurt. As for attacking the little girl, it was even impossible. Their spells never hit the Target with how fast the girl was.

"Of course you can't compare a Holy Lord with a Demigod," Alion's voice echoed in Gabriel's head.

"Where are you?" Gabriel frowned, looking around.

"I'm back inside the castle," Alion answered. "The little girl can't find me. However, you need to be careful of her."

"I've already seen her skills. She is a fighter and her main advantage is her superior speed, which makes it hard for spellcasters to face her. Even I won't take her lightly." Gabriel nodded. The little girl didn't look the part, but her skills didn't lie.

"Is she also here to destroy the Castle and kill me?" Gabriel asked. "And why didn't anyone know about an existence like that in this place? Where does she come from?"

"From what I know about her, she is not here to destroy the Palace. And she couldn't care less about Karyk," Alion responded.

"Then why is she here?"

"She is here to capture me and take me back... Since I'm not allowed to be here."

Only a few minutes had passed, and the battle was already over. The two Envoys were standing on the ground, bleeding from their nose, mouth and eyes.

They hadn't even managed to touch the little girl yet they were the ones who were seriously hurt. This was something they never would've believed if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

What was even more strange was that the little girl didn't kill them, despite having multiple opportunities. It was as if she didn't care whether they lived or died, like they were just some ants before her who she was too lazy to crush.

Ten minutes with the Bloody Sword still weren't over, yet the two Envoys already understood the difference between them and the little girl.

Both of them sent their swords back. There was no use keeping it out any longer since they had already lost their life span and still couldn't do anything.

undefined"May I ask who Your Highness is? And why were you trying to help people awaken the Forbidden Army?" Litvia asked, wiping the blood with the back of her hand. "After our battle, I'm sure you aren't from this place. Then why do you want to get involved?"

"The Forbidden Army?" The little girl asked, as her eyes shone in amazement. "You mean the army of the Death Star?"

"Death Star?" Gabriel smiled wryly. Even though he was standing in the distance, he could still hear their conversation.

"That was the name given to Karyk by them," Alion explained.

"Did you also have a name like that?" Gabriel asked, slightly intrigued. Death Star wasn't a bad name after all.

Back in the castle, Alion scratched the back of his head, as if slightly embarrassed. "Cough, you don't need to know that."

However, his embarrassment disappeared as he thought of the name of the little girl, which was even worse than his. "Though I can tell you the nickname of that little girl before you,"

"I'm listening," Gabriel responded. "She's quite strong so her name should be nice as well."

"She was called Crazy Loli," Alion answered.

Even though Gabriel couldn't see the face of Alion through their conversation, he could feel that Alion was trying really hard to control his laughter. The name was certainly strange.

"Who decided on these bizarre names?" Gabriel asked, wondering just who was capable of giving this girl a name like that and still surviving.

"There was no system of officially naming gods and demigods. However, there were times when gods and Demigods came up with nicknames for others on their own. When these names spread enough, everyone started calling them these names more than their real names," Alion explained vaguely.

"As for that little girl's name, this name was given to her by me," he further added. "I thought I was anonymous when spreading her name to mess with her. Who knew that crazy loli would find my real identity. Ever since then, she's been chasing after me to kill me for that name."

Hearing the response, Gabriel felt slightly awkward. His impression of Alion changed by a lot instantly. He previously thought Alion was a serious Demigod, somewhat like Karyk. However, it was clear that Alion was more mischievous than he thought.

"So she was here for you," Gabriel muttered. "That's good. It would've been a hassle if she was after the Palace and the Army too."

"That's right. With the opening of the Castle, the aura protection around this place became quite weak. When I was fighting, I think she sensed my aura thanks to that, and found out where I was. I didn't expect her to still be looking for me after all these heard." Alion said, getting somewhat serious. "This girl really knows how to hold a grudge."

"However, this is also an opportunity for you!"

"Opportunity?" Gabriel asked, observing the proud little girl in the distance who was talking with the two Envoys.

"This girl is crazy and her presence in this place is a big headache for you. However, if you can use her well, and get her support, we might have a decent backing in the future." Alion explained while he kept applying some of his energy to the sphere in front of him. "With her around, you should be able to delay the other side for a month at least."

"Death Star's army is in this place?" The little girl asked the two Envoys. It was only now that she sensed her surroundings properly and sensed that there was indeed some present of the aura of death.

Previously, she was so distracted by Alion that she didn't even notice that.

"You didn't know that? You weren't here to help that man in freeing the army?" Litvia asked, finally realizing that something was wrong.

"Why would I help him?" The little girl asked in return. "I was here to capture him and take him away. I didn't know he was hiding in this prison. If I had known, I would've come here sooner."

The two Envoys finally realized that they were fooled by Alion! The little girl before them was so strong that she had no reason to lie to them after all.

The envoys started explaining everything that happened since their arrival and how a misunderstanding was created by Alion.

At the same time, Gabriel was also wondering about something. "What did she mean by hiding in Prison?"

Despite Gabriel's question, he didn't receive a response.

The silence made Gabriel feel even more curious. It was clear that Alion was trying to hide something.

Gabriel didn't request again. He had a better way now to convince Alion after all. "Fine. Don't tell me. Let me go to that little girl and tell her where you are. Don't blame me for what happens next."

"You!" Alion felt like choking. "Stop! Don't tell her where I am! I'll tell you!"

"That's much better. So what's this about?"

After a period of silence, Alion sighed. "You went to that tomb recently, right? What do you think that place was?"

"It was the prison created by Alion for the Goddess of Nature. What about that?" Gabriel asked. "Don't tell me the little girl was talking about that prison. You were hiding in the tomb?"

"Wrong. She wasn't talking about that prison. The tomb that you saw wasn't the only prison... There was an even bigger prison that you don't know about."

"What's that?"

"Where you stand currently... And as far as your eyes can see! As far as you can travel, as far as you can go, it's all a prison. This entire World that you think is the starting and the end of life, is just a prison created by Karyk himself," Alion said in full seriousness. "That's why even Gods are scared to descend hereā€¦"

"This world is just a prison..." The words fell like thunder in Gabriel's ears.

It was said that this was the place where gods were born. From then on, he assumed that the reason there were no gods or Demigods in this place was because they had died, or lived somewhere in seclusion. However, to hear that this world was nothing more than a prison was indeed shocking for him.

"Why would this place be a prison?"

Karyk had already imprisoned the Goddess of Nature in the tomb. It didn't make sense for him to make this entire World into a prison. Unless, there was something more to it.

Gabriel was standing frozen in place, feeling a terrible headache. If this world was a prison, that meant he was a prisoner as well.

undefinedWhile he was distracted, the little girl appeared before him. She grabbed the heavy sword. However, before taking it away, she looked at Gabriel who was in a daze.

With the misunderstanding being clear, the Holy Lords already realized that they had made a mistake and that they were fooled by Alion. No one made things more difficult for the little girl. However, they still kept eyes on her.

"I will go back to inform the Temple about the events that took place here. You'll stay in the city." Ozen disappeared, leaving Litvia the incharge of the City for the time being.

Tap~

The little girl poked the stomach of Gabriel like a child, bringing him out of his daze.

Gabriel was still thinking about the prison when he sensed someone poke him. He came out of his daze, but he couldn't see anyone before him.

It was only when he looked down that he noticed the little girl in front of him, holding onto the heavy sword which was still too big for her.

He stopped talking to Alion secretly. Now that the little girl was this close to him, he didn't think it was preferable to risk exposing himself.

"Do you need something from me?"

Gabriel had neither fought the little girl, nor had he offended her. Unless she sensed his real identity, he didn't believe that she was going to hurt him.

"I am sleepy." The little girl yawned. If people hadn't seen her fight before, they would've just assumed that she was a little girl who had lost her way in the commotion.

Gabriel didn't know why she didn't chase after Alion anymore yet came straight to him. However, from what he could guess, it was because she couldn't sense Alion anymore.

Alion was back inside the palace and the spatial passage with the Palace had been sealed by Gabriel for a month, making it impossible for anyone to sense him.

Moreover, the girl was already sleepy when she came here. Now that Alion was gone, she didn't feel it was worth it for her to spoil her sleep over him.

Amongst all the Holy Lords here, only Gabriel hadn't attacked her before. Moreover, he didn't treat her with hostility. That's why she left her sword for him to protect when she was fighting.

Now that she had a good impression of him, she went to him first.

Gabriel also didn't argue with the little girl. It was better to keep the little girl satisfied for the time being.

"Come with me. I'll arrange for a room for you to sleep in." Gabriel freed Avilia and held the hands of the little girl, as if he was guiding a little child.

The little girl was slightly surprised. It wasn't often that someone took the initiative to touch her, especially since everyone was so scared of her.

She looked at Gabriel blankly. While everyone avoided her like a plague in the past, Gabriel was still so nice even after seeing how strong she was. She didn't feel even a trace of fear from Gabriel.

The little girl followed Gabriel. Her left hand remained in Gabriel's hand while her right hand held the heavy sword, dragging it while leaving a deep ravine behind.

All the other Holy Lords also felt slightly taken aback. They hadn't seen the Holy Lord of Light before, not now that they saw, the man didn't just defeat Alion, spoiling his plan but also calmed down the little demon.

Unfortunately, even though they wanted to stay behind to observe the situation, they couldn't. Alion had already escaped. And before leaving, he threatened them all to have revenge on them.

None of them wanted to stay away from their churches for too long, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the Church of Flames.

One after another, all the Holy Lords left the City which had become a battlefield not too long ago. What was worse was that they didn't succeed and only got beaten. Fortunately, not many people saw that which saved some of their dignity.

Gabriel brought the little girl back inside the Royal Castle. Now that things had come this far, he couldn't just avoid the little girl.

Avilia also followed behind Gabriel, going inside the palace. Only Litvia was left behind in the garden.

Now that the protective barrier was gone, she could easily enter the garden to check it. Unfortunately, with the spatial passage closed, someone at her caliber couldn't detect anything unusual.

Gabriel brought the little girl to the room he had arranged.

"If you need anything, just tell the guards and it'll be arranged. Treat this place like your home." Gabriel stood before the door. However, before he could even finish, he saw the little girl already asleep.

It hadn't even been a second since she fell on the bed and she was already in deep sleep. The girl really looked tired. The heavy sword was lying by the support of the bed.

"Is she always so sleepy?" Gabriel asked Alion secretly.

"Not this much. She must've really exhausted herself to enter this place. It's not easy after all," Alion answered. "Now that you know just how strong others can be, you should really focus on strengthening yourself. You have only one more month."

"I know. As soon as the seal breaks, even gods might not be able to remain immune. I have to become stronger in this one month." Gabriel stepped closer to the heavy Sword of the little girl.

He held the hilt of the sword firmly. Unexpectedly, he didn't feel any resistance from the sword. In fact, he couldn't feel anything. The sword felt like an ordinary Sword with nothing out of the ordinary. It didn't feel like the sword had a spirit or was a treasure.

Unfortunately, it was only when he tried to raise the sword that he truly understood the difference.

Gabriel tried his best. Unfortunately, even with his strengthened physique and strength boosting spell, he couldn't move the Sword in the slightest, let alone raise it.

It was as if the sword was nothing less than a heavy mountain which could crush anyone under it!

Now that Gabriel knew exactly how heavy the Sword was, it surprised him even more that the little girl carried this sword all the time.

He gazed at the little girl in the distance who e was sleeping peacefully.

He held the blanket. Since the girl slept so soon, she didn't even bother covering herself with the blanket, even when the room was cold.

undefinedGabriel raised the blanket, covering the little girl.

Gabriel left the room, meeting the Knights outside. "Make sure no one disturbs her. If she needs anything, get it for her. And contact me when she wakes up."

He left with Avilia after dealing with some minor matters. At the same time, he also told the Knights to get people into the work of recovery.

Even though the battle this time hadn't harmed many people, many buildings were damaged already. There was a lot of cleaning work to do. He left all that inconsequential work to the Knights to deal with.

Gabriel didn't go back to his room either. Along the way, he had already canceled his shroud.

He went to the cells under the castle where the prisoners were kept. Amongst the prisoners, there was one special person.

It had been such a long time since he had captured Lambard's maid yet there was no movement from him, as if he already knew that it was a trap. Even with the huge commotion in the city which kept everyone else busy, Lambard didn't sneak inside the castle which was surprising.

"Shouldn't you rest first instead of following me? I'm only dealing with small matters." Even when he was going to the cells, Avilia was behind him. He wanted to send her away yet he couldn't be too straight.

"Do you want to get rid of me that bad?" Avilia caught up to Gabriel, walking right next to him.

"I don't want to get rid of you. I just want you to rest first, since there is an important task that I need you to finish. If you've already rested, how about you start that task now?"

"What task?" Avilia asked. "Also, you still haven't told me what happened back there. Who was the guy in the dark and where did a Demigod come from? Just what did you do?"

"I told you I have no idea," Gabriel shrugged. "I was just taking a walk in the garden when that dark robed man came and opened a portal. You don't believe me?"

"Only an idiot will believe you." The young lady rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Thank you for stopping me from fighting that little girl. If you hadn't stopped me, I would've lost a lot of my beasts. Thanks to you, I didn't summon them."

"If you want to thank me, do the task I want you to finish."

The Holy Priestess of Summoning looked at Gabriel, confused. She still wasn't told what task she had to achieve.

Gabriel briefly stopped, telling some things to the young lady which surprised even her. Avilia instantly agreed since the task didn't seem too dangerous.

Gabriel stopped before the cell where Lambard's maid was being kept.

The young maid was already asleep. Even though she was a prisoner, she wasn't treated badly and was even provided with a proper bed to sleep. It was as if she was in house arrest.

Gabriel entered the cell.

As soon as he entered, the young maid sensed his presence and opened her eyes.

"No matter what you do, I won't tell you anything." The young maid stood up. Thanks to the bracelet of sealing, she couldn't use any of her abilities. However, she was still firm in her resolve.

"You don't need to tell me anything anymore. I've already run out of patience." Gabriel's expressions were still but his words had incompatible sharpness which made the young lady tremble slightly.

"Tomorrow, you'll be executed. When you're dead, I wonder if Lambard will come to me for revenge or not. It should also send a message to the other spies who dare to infiltrate my city! I just came here to tell you to prepare yourself for that."

The maid initially thought that Gabriel was just bluffing, and that he was going to insist that she tell him Lambard's whereabouts if she wanted to survive. However, to her surprise, Gabriel didn't speak anything more. He just turned around and left, leaving the dark cell.

It was as if Gabriel had already given up on her and he was dead serious about executing her before the public.

After leaving the cell of the young maid, Gabriel went back to the higher floors. He still didn't go to his room and went to the rooms of the two Princesses of the previous Emperor who were under house arrest.

The two Princesses lived in the same room, protected by the Knights outside.

As soon as the Knights saw Gabriel approaching, they straight went down to one knee, greeting their new Emperor.

Their greeting was so loud that even the two Princesses inside the room heard them. Both of them straightened their clothes and stood up.

A slight trace could also be seen on their faces. They had already heard about the rebellion that was violently crushed by Gabriel. When they first saw Gabriel, they didn't expect him to be this kind of person. But now, they couldn't help but be scared of him.

With the uprising being crushed, Gabriel had no need to keep them anymore which gave them the impression that Gabriel was here to kill them at last.

The two Princesses looked at each other, as if they were looking at each other for the last time. Their small fists were closed as they prepared themselves for the upcoming death.

One of the Knights opened the door of the room and Gabriel's tall figure entered. After the day where he killed the previous Prince, it was the first time Gabriel had seen the two Princesses.

Unlike before, the two princesses were less cheerful and a little pale as well. They were treated like princesses and given the best of food in this place even when they were under house arrest. Yet they were even slimmer than before, as if they weren't eating properly.

Gabriel stood before the two Princesses. He could see their clenched fists and some trembling.

"You are scared of me?"

The two princesses clenched their teeth, shaking heads fiercely. However, only a fool would've believed them.

It was clear that the two girls who enjoyed all the glory of being Princesses in the past were under a lot of stress now, not even realizing just how long they could've lived in a situation like this. In fact, living so far had already surpassed their expectations.

Gabriel understood what they were thinking. It was clearly written on their faces.

"You don't have to be scared. I just came here to tell you that you're free from this moment on."

"Huh?" The two girls raised their heads in surprise. "Free?"

"Yeah. You can leave the room if you want. You can even leave the Empire if you want. The guards won't restrict you anymore." After informing the girls, he turned around. "If you decide to leave, go to the Saint Knight. I'll tell him to give you gold and other things for you to start a new life in a safer place."

undefinedEven though Gabriel had to control an entire Empire, he didn't really need gold for personal use. Moreover, even though the two girls didn't actually have the right to rule the Empire, he still didn't want to leave them empty handed after taking the Empire from them.

Not only did he arrange for a few servants and carriages for the two princesses, but he also arranged for more than enough gold and protection for their departure.

As much as he wanted to protect this Empire, he knew that this place wasn't safe. In the coming days, even the Royal Palace wasn't certain if it was going to stay safe, let alone the other places in the Empire.

The place was at the eye of the storm after all.

After Gabriel left, the two princesses looked at each other in surprise. Not only did Gabriel not kill them, but he also gave them an opportunity to leave and live a life of luxury in some other place?

For a moment, they didn't know what to even think.

After dealing with the two Princesses, Gabriel finally walked back to his room. The little girl was still asleep while Avilia was engaged in a task, which left him with some privacy for the moment.

"Can I meet you again in the dream to train?" Gabriel asked, sitting on the bed in his room.

"Not for the next few days. I am busy with the task at hand." Alion instantly answered. He was at the Palace and didn't have time to leave that place. Because of that, Gabriel also couldn't strengthen his physique in his dreams.

Fortunately, there were still other ways to strengthen himself.

Gabriel cast a barrier all around his room, making sure that not even the slightest of his aura leaked outside.

At the same time, he brought out the remaining spirit stones that he had robbed from the Academy of Elements to absorb them and increase his strength.

At the moment, he was as strong as the other Holy Lords, despite just being an advanced tier mage compared to the others who were peak tier mages.

He wanted to reach the peak tier and even surpass that since he knew what dangers laid ahead of him. Even a peak tier mage couldn't compare to a Demigod after all, let alone the gods above.

Gabriel sat in meditation, surrounded by the Spirit Stones from all sides, absorbing the energy.

While most Holy Lords could only absorb a few hundred spirit stones in a day to strengthen themselves, Gabriel could absorb thousands, even though it put a lot of burden on his body.

After seven hours straight and using thousands of spirit stones, he finally reached the threshold between advanced tier mage and the peak tier. It was as if there was a small curtain that separated the two realms. It wasn't easy to pass through that threshold right away.

Even though the jump was small, it took Gabriel one more hour to pass through that small step. Fortunately, he succeeded and became a peak tier mage, finally stepping on the same realm as the other Holy Lords.

After succeeding, Gabriel dropped on the bed, completely exhausted. He was covered in sweat and multiple crushed spirit stones were around him that had now become useless.

It took him a few minutes before finally regaining some strength. Even with the breakthrough, he was more exhausted than anything else.

He walked through the mountain of ruined spirit stones in his room, taking off his clothes. He straight went for a shower.

It was only inside the shower where he wasn't wearing anything that he noticed another strange thing about him.

The strange mark of Necromancy that was only covering the back of his hand up to his wrist had spread even more! It was as if it was a tattoo that was covering his entire right arm upto his shoulder now.

The tattoo looked good and also emanated with the power of the dead. However, this also made it impossible for him to hide his aura anymore without using a shroud of light.

The gloves could only restrict the mark upto his hand. However, now that his entire arm was covered, it was impossible to cover it.

What he didn't realize was that it wasn't just his arm that was covered in that dark yet beautiful mark. Some traces of it could also be seen on his back.

He asked Alion about it, wondering if he knew anything about it or if it was worth worrying about.

Unfortunately, there was no response from Alion this time, as if the man was more busy than anything.

In the end, Gabriel could only finish his shower in disappointment before stepping out and wearing clothes again. He didn't notice that his skin was visibly different now. It was much better than it used to be. Moreover, his skin shade was now almost identical to what Karyk used to possess.

If in the past, he only looked similar yet different from Karyk, then now it was much harder to differentiate between the two. The only difference that could be seen between the two now was that Karyk didn't have such long hairs like Gabriel and the color of their hairs were also different.

After wearing the clothes, Gabriel looked out the window from his room. The City was still seemingly peaceful and nothing out of the ordinary could be sensed. It was as if what happened just a few hours ago near the garden was nothing more than a dream and a figment of his imagination.

Unfortunately, only Gabriel knew that things were about to get much messier from now on.

Only three hours had passed since midnight. As Gabriel was already feeling exhausted after his breakthrough, he didn't go outside or do anything out of place. Instead, he simply rested in his room, soon falling asleep.

Even he couldn't recall how long it had been since he actually slept where he didn't have to train in his dreams.

The night was silent yet many eyes were lurking in the darkness inside the Royal City of Arecia.

Lambard's maid was sitting in the prison cell, unable to sleep. Ever since she heard from Gabriel that it was her last night before she was going to be executed, she lost all her appetite and calmness.

Despite all that, she still didn't consider betraying Lambard. She kept looking at the bracelet of sealing. Lambard was so interested in Numens. And despite living with him for so long, she still didn't know how to get free from the bracelet of sealing other than the usual way of getting outside help.

undefined"It looks like I'm never going to see you again," she muttered, looking in the distant darkness. Her eyes were blank as if she had already accepted her death.

Tap~

Tap~

In the scary silence, some footsteps resounded which made the young maid look up. The footsteps weren't like the footsteps of Gabriel. They were much lighter.

The maid couldn't help but wonder who could be coming at a time like this. Fortunately it wasn't long before she saw the person.

"What are you doing here?" The young maid asked, frowning. "Are you here to convince me to betray Lord Lambard as well, Holy Priestess?"

Outside the cell, Avilia stood calmly gazing at the young maid. Not a single guard could be seen anywhere.

The maid had already seen Avilia with Gabriel and knew the two were working together. She didn't expect much from the Holy Priestess before her other than trying to help Gabriel in trying to convince her.

Unfortunately, to her surprise what happened next was something she hadn't expected.

The Holy Priestess of Summoning didn't speak anything. She simply broke the lock on the cell, opening the door.

"What?" The maid stood up, stunned. She didn't understand what Avilia was doing. If she worked with Gabriel, she could've just asked him for the key. Why did she have to break the lock? Something didn't seem right.

"I know you have a lot of questions along with many misunderstandings. However, I don't have much time to explain to you." Avilia stepped closer to the maid, reaching out her hand.

She held the sealing bracelet. With her help, the sealing bracelets opened. After freeing the young maid from the sealing bracelets, Avilia kept the bracelet with her.

The young maid was just too surprised already. She didn't even notice Avilia keeping the bracelet with her.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Now that she was free, she could use her magic again. Even though she knew that her magic was nothing in front of the magic of Avilia, but if she wanted to escape, now that she didn't have to worry about the sealing bracelet, it was easy for her.

However, she didn't leave immediately. She was still a little suspicious. "Is this what Gabriel asked you to do?"

"Why would he ask me to free you? He's already prepared for your execution. I came here to free you because I don't want you to be killed," Avilia responded. "I've been working with him all this time to get him to reveal his secrets to me. However, because of you, I had to break my character and come out to help you."

"So don't make it difficult for me! Get out of here as soon as possible before Gabriel realize that something is wrong. I'll go back and continue pretending to work with him. There are still many secrets that he hasn't told me since he doesn't trust me enough!"

The more the maid heard, the more she realized what Avilia was implying. "You mean you aren't actually working with him and are just pretending to find out his secrets and his weaknesses?"

Avilia didn't answer. She just turned around. "Gabriel is much stronger than we could've expected. I knew this as soon as I saw him for the first time. That's why I didn't fight him. You already know that his element is different. Not much is known about him. So I can't take the risk. I need to know the enemy so we can defeat him when we actually fight!"

"Now don't talk too much and leave?"

Avilia left the cell and disappeared in the darkness.

The young maid still stood frozen in place. What she found out was too surprising for her. Avilia was just pretending to work with Gabriel?

'Now that I think about it, I never actually saw her do anything to help Gabriel. She never fought for him either. It looks like I found out a big secret today! Lord Lambard should be very happy! Maybe we can even use Avilia in the future!'

The young maid smirked, as if finding out a big secret. Now that she was free to use magic, her figure also disappeared into the darkness.

She appeared far away from the Royal Palace, right around the edge of the Royal City.

After appearing at the edge of the city, she checked her surroundings to make sure that she wasn't being followed before continuing.

She didn't realize that what was following her wasn't a person but her own shadow!

Back inside the Royal Palace, Avilia came out of the darkness, appearing right where she had disappeared.

"Thank you for leading us to Lambard..."

Gabriel had already given her a task and she was quite pleased to know that she had already completed half the task already.

While Avilia was following Gabriel's instructions, Gabriel was sleeping in his bedroom.

Without any training tonight, it was supposed to be quite a peaceful sleep for Gabriel. However, something wasn't right.

Instead of sleeping peacefully, Gabriel appeared more and more restless, twisting and turning in the bed. A dark aura of death had shrouded her entire body.

Fortunately, the barrier he had cast previously was still in its place, making sure that the aura of death couldn't be sensed outside the room.

The aura of death kept intensifying around Gabriel more and more. Occasionally, he could be heard speaking some incomprehensible words in his sleep that didn't match any language known.

While Gabriel's body was going through a strange phenomenon, what was really troubled was his soul and his consciousness.

As Gabriel's real body was covered in the aura of darkness which was only getting stronger with each passing second, his spirit and consciousness appeared to have transcended to an entirely different place.

Gabriel felt as if he was floating in an eternal unending darkness where he couldn't sense anything. It was as if all his senses were sealed except the sense of thoughts.

The surroundings were so silent that it was scary. It was as if it was the silence after death, unlike any dreams before.

In the empty dark space, there was no semblance of time. Sometimes it felt as if only a second had passed since he arrived here while at other times, it was as if an eternity had already passed while Gabriel floated in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Gabriel finally saw something in the unending darkness. He didn't know what it was, but in the distance, he could see a small speck of light which was shining bright in the unending darkness.

undefinedThrough the speck of light in the distance, Gabriel finally realized that he wasn't stationary in space. Instead, he was floating closer to the small speck of light... Or the speck of light was floating closer to him.

Slowly, Gabriel moved closer to the speck of Light in the distance. The closer he came to the speck of light, the bigger the speck of light became. It was as if the distance between the two was just so much that it looked so small from far away yet it was actually very big in reality.

In fact, when Gabriel was close enough, he even felt as if it wasn't a small speck of light but an entire world altogether.

In the majestic world, there was no life. Gabriel could only see a strange terrain, filled with mountains, desert and sea.

The small world kept turning around its own axis while Gabriel remained stationary, unable to move. He could only watch the beautiful yet desolate world in front of him.

The world was void of all life, despite having everything that was needed to nourish life.

It was as if millions of years passed yet nothing changed in the world. Gabriel didn't understand why, but he didn't take his eyes off the world. In the vast darkness, this was the only thing that he could see. No matter how much time passed, this was the only interesting thing in the vastness.

Fortunately, after millions of years, something changed in the world... The first life was born.

With the birth of the first life form, more and more life forms were born in the world. Life flourished in the world that once used to be desolate.

Before long, humans also came into existence, even though their intelligence was barely passable, unlike the humans of this era.

More than a million years passed again. Gabriel saw life forms being and then dying. No being was eternal. Sooner or later, death caught up to every single one of them. Sometimes death was natural while at other times, it came in the form of external influences like war, accidents or even plagues.

Throughout the millions of years, death was constant.

Gabriel didn't understand why but he felt as if he was realizing something the more he watched the world. Life was what people cherished yet death was what they hated. However, it was death which gave birth to new life. Without death, all life could eventually only extinguish.

Death was the great equalizer yet it was never constant. Some lived for over a hundred years while others died in their childhood. There was no logic that could be seen from the naked eye, yet there was just something intriguing about the whole thing for Gabriel.

Gabriel didn't realize that the closer he came to the true concept of life and death, the more his aura of death was strengthening in his real body, surpassing human limits and reaching the threshold that only Karyk had surpassed in the past.

Strangely enough, he didn't have to work too hard to understand the concept of life and death. It was as if he already had great understanding and he was only remembering a fragment of that understanding again.

"Death is eternal. Death is constant. Yet even the god of death couldn't accept death." Gabriel muttered, thinking back to how Karyk did everything to reverse the death of his sister, even going as far as sacrificing others for his one desire.

For others, it was selfish. However, it was different for Gabriel. For some reason, Gabriel felt as if he could understand Karyk. No matter how great death was, at the end of the day, it could only work hand in hand with life. He knew that even if he was in Karyk's place, he would've done the same as well.

The entire thing was just too deep for his understanding.

The millions of years turned into hundreds of millions as life and death worked hand in hand until eventually the entire world embraced death and was destroyed. Death was eternal. Even the world couldn't avoid death, dying with billions of life forms in the end.

However, as the world died, after millions of years, another world came into existence and the entire cycle began again...

Gabriel just stood in silence in the emptiness, watching the new speck of light in the distance. His understanding of death and life had reached a new realm even though he didn't understand death to a greater extent.

After what seemed like an eternity, the scene about the birth and death of new worlds finally stopped, as if freeing Gabriel from its constraints.

The scene around him changed and the vast emptiness of space disappeared.

The surroundings turned bright again and Gabriel felt as if he was once again standing on solid ground again.

As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing. Not even a single leaf of grass could be seen.

Just as he was wondering where he was now, he heard cries of pain which made him tremble. The cries of pain... He recognised that voice! How could he forget that voice? He felt a chill run down his spine as he turned around in disbelief.

Not too far from him, there were hundreds of thousands of beautiful pillars. Each of the pillars was marked with identical yet different markings.

What was truly weird was that there was a person tied to each of the pillars. Moreover, the pillars were slowly destroying the spirits of the beings who were tied to it.

As for the cries of pain that he recognised, they belonged to the two people who were tied to the two leading pillars!

"No!" Gabriel's face turned pale as he flew ahead.

Gabriel clenched his fist. He appeared furious yet scared at the same time. It wasn't often that such a scary expression could be seen on his face. .

In this life, there were only three people that he considered family! One was his mother who had died when he was still young. As for the other two... They were his teachers. However, they weren't just his teachers. They were like his brothers and his family members who gave him everything they had, even going as far as dying at his hands so he could progress.

And to see those two people being tied to the pillars as their souls were slowly being devoured, he couldn't take it! Even if he had to destroy this entire place to ruins, he wanted to free them. He had never felt this angry in this life.

Gabriel rushed toward the pillars where Cylix and Novius were tied to. He reached out his hand to shatter the shackles.

Cylix and Novius were screaming in pain. They appeared to be tortured so badly that their eyes had already turned blood red, making them unable to realize what was happening around them.

undefinedUnfortunately, just as Gabriel was about to touch the shackles, the scene disappeared.

Gabriel's eyes opened as he sat up straight, huffing heavily. His entire body was covered in sweat and his breathing was fast. However, he didn't care about anything like that. Instead, his face was still filled with worries.

He didn't think that what he saw was a dream. It was more like a reality that he had somehow managed to glimpse at.

"Arghh!" He roared at the top of his lungs, so furious that he wasn't able to save them.

He knew that no matter what, he couldn't watch Cylix and Novius suffer a single second more. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to save them either. He had no spell which talked about a place like that.

He got off the bed, impatiently walking back and forth. He didn't even know where the two souls were, let alone know how to find them.

"Souls...Karyk's sister... That's right! Karyk saved his sister! He must know where that place is! Alion should also know!"

Initially, Gabriel didn't want to talk with Alion too much since the little demigod was in the place as well but he didn't care about anything for now.

"Alion!" He called out.

...

Unfortunately, despite him calling Alion, he only received silence in response. It was like last time where Alion wasn't answering.

However, this time Gabriel didn't let it go!

"Alion, answer me or I'll personally come down to the Palace with that little girl and the Temple of Time!"

This time, Gabriel didn't care about cordiality. The more he delayed this time, the more Cylix and Novius were going to suffer. Moreover, even though Gabriel didn't see his mother in that place, he couldn't help but wonder if his mother was also there.

No matter what, he had to check that place personally.

"You know the more I talk, the slower the process of reconstructing her body becomes. Is it really so urgent?"

After a few minutes, finally Gabriel received a response.

"A place with thousands of pillars where souls are tied and destroyed! Where is that place?" Gabriel didn't waste a single second in talking around the topic and directly asked.

Deep inside the Palace of Death, Alion was stunned as he heard Gabriel's question. It was as if even he wasn't expecting a question like that.

"How do you know about that place?!" Alion asked, standing up. For the moment, he completely forgot about his surroundings or what he was doing.

"Where is that place?" Gabriel's tone was firm. It didn't appear as if he was simply asking and more like he was interrogating.

"Don't tell me you want to go there?!" Alion's loud voice echoed in the entire hall in the palace. "Impossible! No! Never!"

"I'm not asking your permission to go there. I'm telling you that I 'have' to go there!" Gabriel didn't back off. No matter what, he had to go there personally. If there was a chance to save Cylix and Alion, he had to do it. Moreover, if he could find his mother there, that was even better.

"That place is too dangerous! You don't know how dangerous that place is!" Alion exclaimed. "Let alone you, even if that little girl and I went there, only one fate awaits us there... Death!"

"Throughout the years, many powerful beings went there, including three gods! However, only one person came out alive from that place, and even that person was heavily injured! If not for that place, he..."

Alion didn't finish his sentence and remained firm. "I won't let you go there. It's really too dangerous. Let alone you as you are now, but even if you were at your strongest, it would be just as dangerous."

"The only person who came out alive and injured... Was that Karyk with his sister?" Gabriel asked.

Alion didn't answer yet his silence contained the answer in itself.

"If Karyk can go there for the people he cared about, why can't I?" Gabriel understood that Alion most probably wasn't exaggerating yet he also couldn't let it go.

The way it looked before, it was as if the two souls couldn't hold on for long. He didn't even know if they could last for a week or so. If the souls were really destroyed, then in the future, he would've had to kill millions and look for the stone of destiny to heal their souls. That was just impossible

If he wanted to do anything, he could only do so while their souls were still intact. Moreover, he didn't think that he saw that vision in his dream for no reason. It was as if somewhat deep in his heart, something was telling him that he had to take the opportunity if he didn't want to regret it in the future. That feeling came from deep within his soul.

"Are you really not going to listen to me?" Alion asked, frowning. Even after he tried to convince Gabriel so much, Gabriel wasn't listening. It was as if he just couldn't give up this time.

For some reason, Alion had a feeling that if he didn't give in this time, Gabriel might actually go to the Temple of Time for help...

Moreover, their plan was still at a crucial stage. The army was just about to awaken in a month. He couldn't make any mistake and risk it.

"Fine! I'll tell you where that place is! But I'll come with you as well! I won't let you go alone this time!" Alion let out, remaining firm as well.

Gabriel didn't argue this time. It was much safer with Alion who knew more about that place after all. "Fine! Tell me where that place is."

"The place you saw... It's in the realm between life and death. A realm which is also called the graveyard of gods!"

It was early in the morning and the sun had already risen high in the sky.

Gabriel had already been waiting at the roof of the Royal Castle, looking into the distance as if he was waiting for something.

Even though Alion had agreed to take him to the place where he wanted to go, he still told Gabriel to wait till the morning before departure for some reason.

Gabriel assumed that it was because Alion wanted to prepare something for the trip while also making some arrangements back at Karyk's castles to make sure that nothing went wrong in their absence.

Even Gabriel had done some preparations of his own.

undefinedHe had initially wanted to deal with the matter of Lambard first. However, with the urgency of the current matter, he left Lambard for Avilia for the time being.

For some strange reason, the little demigod was still deep asleep. Before leaving, he wanted to make some excuses to the little girl. However, now that she was asleep, he just left a message with one of his knights outside the little girl's room to inform her when he left.

After he and Alion were going to leave, there was no one in the Royal City who could stop the little girl. However, Gabriel could only hope that she wasn't going to cause any unnecessary troubles.

"Are you sure I can't come with you?" Standing behind Gabriel, Avilia looked at his distant back. She didn't understand why, but he appeared slightly different than the last time.

Even though Gabriel wasn't using his shroud of light, yet she couldn't feel his aura of death. It was as if Gabriel's control over his element of death was so high now that even a Holy Lord couldn't sense his aura. It was as if not a single thread of his aura leaked without his permission, unlike before.

What was even strange was that she felt as if Gabriel was even more incomprehensible for some reason, even though it had only been one night. There was only a few meters of distance between the two, yet it felt like they were standing thousands of miles apart.

"Not this time." Gabriel already had Alion and didn't feel it was safe to take more people with him. The place they were going was too dangerous according to Alion.

Avilia didn't raise the question again and agreed to Gabriel's instructions. She didn't know why, but there was something deep within his heart which made her unable to say no to Gabriel. Even she didn't understand that feeling herself.

It hadn't been long since the two of them started working together. However, strangely enough, she didn't like the feeling of being away from him. At the same time, she also didn't want to make him get angry at her. Even she was conflicted inside her heart as to what was happening to her.

She raised her left hand to summon a flying eagle to carry Gabriel to his destination. Unfortunately, just as she was about to finish her summoning, Gabriel turned around.

His beautiful blue eyes looked deep within Avilia's eyes, momentarily stunning her. There was a slight trace of darkness that could be seen deep within Gabriel's blue eyes.

Looking back at Gabriel, Avilia even forgot the rest of her summoning spell, only losing herself in Gabriel's eyes. She already knew how beautiful Gabriel's eyes were.

However, there was a strange kind of charm in his eyes now which made anyone who looked into them momentarily stunned. It was as if those eyes contained vast worlds deep within.

"You don't need to call any beast this time. I'll go alone."

"You think I will spy on you through my beast?" Avilia didn't know why, but she felt slightly taken aback. It was as if she was surprised that Gabriel still couldn't believe her.

"It's not that." Gabriel shook his head before giving a brief explanation. "It's just that I need to pass through the cities of the other Holy Lords to get to my destination. When they see your beast and me sitting on it, it'll attract unnecessary attention and I don't want to have to waste my time dealing with them."

Avilia remained silent. What Gabriel said made sense. She was also slightly happy that it wasn't because Gabriel didn't trust her. He was just trying to avoid some unnecessary trouble.

However, this also gave her some hints as to where Gabriel wanted to go.

'A dangerous place and to reach that place, one has to pass through the territory of more than one Holy Lord? Isn't that... The Abandoned City of Gods?'

Avilia was stunned as soon as she realized where Gabriel was planning to go. The City was said to be the plane where real gods lived once upon a time. Throughout the time, many powerful people tried to explore the city but in the end, none of them came out alive!

Even the Holy Lords who entered that place only received death and nothing else! Even the last Holy Lord of Water died because she entered the City of Abandoned Gods accidentally!

She wanted to persuade Gabriel to think twice before going to that place as it was too dangerous even for him. However, looking at Gabriel's determined eyes, she realized that he wasn't going to change his mind.

Gabriel abruptly turned his back on Avilia, seemingly distracted by something. He looked at the sun in the distance, lost in some thought. Avilia didn't realize that it was because he had just received Alion's message.

"I'm waiting for you outside the Empire borders."

"I'm leaving. If possible, take care of the Empire," Gabriel turned around, revealing a calm yet beautiful smile. "When I return, I'll hopefully be bringing back the real Emperor of this place."

Gabriel started rising in the sky. Two beautiful black wings appeared on his back. The wings appeared to be made of a dark fire which wasn't fire at all. Instead, it was the pure and untainted aura of death.

What was even weirder was that despite Gabriel using a spell of death so openly, Avilia still couldn't feel Gabriel's aura which was contained only around his body.

The wings not only allowed Gabriel to fly high in the sky, but the speed that provided Gabriel was also faster than the peak speed of the Beasts that Avilia lent him to travel at times.

Gabriel glanced at the Royal City one last time before he flew south.

As soon as he reached outside the borders, he noticed Alion standing there with the support of a protective wall. This time, he wasn't wearing any dark cloak, revealing his handsome face.

"You're finally here."

The Abandoned City of Gods... A City that brought both curiosity and fear amongst the people who knew about it.

As it was said to be the City of Gods of the past, it was said that it contained many precious treasures. That's why many people who knew about this city tried to enter it to find those treasures.

Unfortunately, barely anyone who entered the City ever came out alive. Even the ones who managed to survive and come out, died a few days later without speaking anything about what they saw on the other side.

Let alone finding any treasures, even keeping their lives was said to be hard. With time, the people who went to the city of Gods decreased and eventually, barely anyone knew about that place anymore.

There were only a few maps existing currently which helped someone locate the city and navigate inside and they were sold like precious treasures.

undefinedOne such map was bought by the Holy Priestess of Water Elora.

To buy just one map, she had to pay many precious treasures to Lambard and even with the map, she had no certainty that she was going to be safe.

Elora stood at the entrance of the Abandoned City of Gods with an old map that was carved on a beast skin which had turned pale yellow.

Despite the passage of years, the map was still intact. It was unclear just which beast skin was used to create this map but Elora had never seen such a beast.

Elora didn't come with many people this time. In fact, there were only two Head Priestesses accompanying her this time who were trusted by her the most.

Other than the two Head Priestesses, there was one more person who was accompanying them. It was a young girl, who appeared to be barely twenty years old.

The girl wasn't strong. Even though she also had the Element of Water, she had only managed to advance to a High Tier Mage, and that also thanks to the help of the Holy Priestess of Water.

The young girl stood right next to Elora, holding a small compass in her hand.

The needle of the rusted compass was turning all around, seemingly very unstable. However, despite that Elora kept looking at the compass occasionally.

"Maya, keep an eye on the compass. Since you've managed to bind that compass to your soul, only you can use it. So make sure to warn us if the compass points at any danger," the Holy Lord of Water told the young girl next to her.

Even though she could've killed Maya and taken the compass if she wanted, but she didn't do so. The compass wasn't that precious outside the Abandoned City.

The only purpose of the compass was to point to the dangers so that they could potentially avoid them and have a safer journey inside the Abandoned City of Gods.

Together, with the map and the compass, Elora had faith that they really had a chance of finding the secret behind the City.

Everyone knew that no matter how much strength you possessed, your safety wasn't guaranteed inside. It was proven by the death of Holy Lords who were stronger than Elora inside the Abandoned City of Gods.

What really mattered inside the city of gods was the awareness of the surroundings as well as a trace of luck to avoid danger zones that weren't marked on the map.

This was also why Elora had gone to the Academy of Elements to borrow a treasure to help her. Unfortunately, just as she had reached the Academy of Elements, the Academy was robbed by Gabriel right before her eyes and she couldn't get anything.

It was also because of that, she had to delay her plans and use all she had to catch Gabriel so she could retrieve the item and aid her journey again.

Unfortunately, she didn't succeed even after all she tried. Let alone succeeding alone, even the other Holy Lords suffered losses after losses when trying to go against Gabriel, especially the Holy Lord of Flames.

In the end, she had already lost hope of ever retrieving the item that could help her. Fortunately, at around the same time, she heard the news about a girl finding the Compass of Fate and binding with it.

As soon as Elora received the information, she instantly went to the Academy of Elements.

Without the protection of Izen, the Academy of Elements was like a place of great talent and treasure which was without a guardian.

Elora promised to help the Academy of Elements with the protection from the Church of Water in exchange for Maya's help during her journey.

Not only did she bring Maya with her, but she also taught Maya some spells and trained her with spirit stones so she could get strong enough to not drag them behind.

At that time, Elora hadn't thought that even she was going to be surprised by Maya's learning skills. Maya's awareness and willpower was much stronger than people of her own age which helped her learn faster.

Even though her spiritual strength didn't grow at the fastest pace, it was still a decent enough speed and with the help of her spell mastery skills, she had good potential in Elora's eyes.

It was only thanks to that, Elora took Maya as her student, establishing a master-disciple relationship.

"Yes Master." Maya respectfully nodded. Her entire mind was focused on the compass.

With how the needle of the compass was turning randomly, anyone could've thought that the compass was broken but only the ones who were truly knowledgeable knew that when the compass was unstable, it meant there was no danger nearby.

Only when there were dangers nearby was the Compass supposed to be stable.

As the ground of four was still outside the city, even the compass didn't sense anything.

Elora went through the map once again, location the safest location marked on the map for the entry.

There was one road that led inside the Abandoned City of Gods which was made to enter. However, according to the map, that path wasn't what they were supposed to take.

Elora and the others entered from within a random direction, entering through a hole in the wall which was covered by large bushes. As the four entered the City, the outside returned to the old silence.

The four didn't realize that they weren't the only ones who had come here this time.

Not long after Elora's group entered the Abandoned City of Gods through the hole in the wall, two powerful auras arrived.

"This is the City?" Gabriel landed at the entrance of the City with Alion.

"That's right. From this point on, we can't fly. We'll have to cover the rest of the way on foot."

Alion still appeared slightly hesitant in entering the City as he glanced back at Gabriel. He knew that if something happened to both of them, it was truly going to be the end. If possible, he wanted to enter alone. Unfortunately, Gabriel didn't agree.

"Are you really sure you don't want me to go alone? If the two of us go together and we fall into a trap, it'll be difficult for both of us."

"It's my responsibility." Even though Gabriel didn't want to enter if he didn't had to, there was not much of a choice either.

undefinedFortunately, he still had some cards at the back of his hand for his protection. He didn't know what he was going to face once he entered the Abandoned City of Gods, but he had made some preparations of his own.

It had been a long time since he called Raphael to his help. Even though it looked as if there were just two of them, Gabriel still had Raphael as his backup who could be summoned when he faced danger.

It was a trip that included two Holy Lord level beings and one Demigod. If this wasn't safe, then Gabriel didn't know what was going to be safe.

"If you've decided, then so be it. I hope we won't be regretting in the future." Alion clenched his fist. As a Demigod, in this world, there weren't many things that could make him feel threatened. However, the City of Abandoned Gods was one of those things.

Alion took the lead. Unlike Elora, he didn't strive to look for another route. Instead, he chose the main route. He took a step forward.

...

Just as Alion had taken a step forward, he stopped. His expressions turned dark as soon as he felt a familiar aura.

Boom ~

Just as he expected, a bright beam of light came from the distance, falling right before him. If he had taken just one step forward instead of stopping at the right time, that beam of light would've fallen on him.

The fall made the entire ground tremble monetarily. Dust flew everywhere, making it harder to find just what it was that had fallen before them.

As the dust settled down, the truth came to light. Gabriel also felt a little headache, seeing just what had fallen.

It was a Sword... A heavy Sword to be exact. It was also the sword that even he couldn't pick up. He had only seen that one Sword before... It was the sword of the little girl.

"She was supposed to be sleeping." Gabriel frowned. "Looks like even entering that place isn't going to be as peaceful as I thought."

Gabriel called out the Ancestral Staff of Necromancy. Since the girl was here and saw him with Alion, Gabriel was ready for the battle that was ro come.

Alion also took a step back, creating some distance with the sword.

"Finally found you!" A melodious voice came from the back. However, that was exactly the voice which Alion didn't want to hear.

Gabriel turned to the source of the voice, finding a little girl standing in the air. The little girl landed next to her heavy Sword.

She grabbed the hilt of the unmovable Sword and pulled it out of the ground as if it was a wooden Sword and nothing more.

She pointed the heavy Sword at Alion. "Where will you hide now?"

"Do you really think I need to run from you?" Alion frowned. "Just because I don't fight you doesn't mean I'm scared of you. If you want to fight, you should be prepared to die as well!"

Even before Alion's threat, the little girl didn't show any trace of fear. Instead, her eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

Gabriel hadn't seen Alion's real weapon from the start. Even when Alion fought before, he only used a random weapon given to him by Gabriel.

Gabriel was really curious as to which weapon Alion actually used. A Numen was already strong enough that it was cherished by even Holy Lords, let alone the weapons of real Demigod who was still alive!

All the Numens that Gabriel had seen so far belonged to the demigods that had died.

However, for Alion and the little girl to still be alive, it was clear that they were a lot stronger than the others that had died before them, which meant their weapons were stronger as well. It was further proven by the fact that his Sword of Ulien appeared weaker than the little girl's Sword.

"Hmm?"

The little girl looked like she was ready to fight. However, at the moment, she appeared surprised, looking back at Gabriel. To be specific, she was looking at the Ancestral Staff in Gabriel's hands.

"That Ancestral Staff..." The little girl stabbed her heavy Sword in the ground before disappearing.

Her Sword was left back where she used to stand. She instead appeared right before Gabriel, staring at his Ancestral Staff in surprise.

"This staff... It's not a clone. How could that be? It's real... A god's weapon! Karyk's weapon! Why do you have it?!"

Gabriel initially wanted to teleport away to protect himself from the little girl as soon as she appeared before him. However now that the girl was right before him and without her weapon, it didn't look as if she was here to attack him. Instead, she was like a child whose eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Not a clone? What do you mean? Haven't you seen the Ancestral Staffs of other Holy Lords as well? What's so shocking about mine?"

For him, it wasn't as if he was the only person who had an Ancestral Staff here. That's why he didn't understand why the little girl was so surprised now and not before she saw the other Holy Lords.

Looking at Gabriel's ignorance, the girl didn't feel as if he was pretending or lying. "You really don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

Gabriel looked in the direction of Alion, wondering what the little girl was talking about.

"Are you going to tell him, or should I?" The little girl also looked back at Alion. For the moment, the little girl even forgot about her battle. She was more intrigued by Gabriel's staff.

Alion scratched the back of his head. "I'll tell him."

He raised his right hand, casting an illusion before him.

In the illusion, multiple Ancestral Staffs appeared before Gabriel, floating in mid air. Even though it was just an illusion, all the Ancestral Staff looked so real.

Amongst the Ancestral Staff, Gabriel could also see the one he had.

What surprised him the most was the other Ancestral Staffs in that illusion... Although they were similar to the Ancestral Staffs of the other Holy Lords, they were slightly different at the same time. Only his Ancestral Staff was completely identical to the one in the illusion.

"All the so-called Ancestral Staffs that the Holy Lords use are the clones of the real God's Staffs that are used by the Origin Gods."

"You mean they are fake?"

undefinedGabriel was stunned. He used to think that the Ancestral Staffs were what the real gods used once upon a time. But to think that it was all a lie? The Ancestral Staffs that he thought to be a treasure all this time was nothing more than a clone of the real thing?

"You can say that they are fake. They are only linked with the real Ancestral Staffs and can only use a fraction of the real thing's powers," Alion answered. "Didn't you ever feel that the spells you cast with your Ancestral Staff of Necromancy are many times more powerful in the same tier compared to the spells cast with other Ancestral Staffs?"

He further explained, "In other words, if the God Staffs are the river, then the Ancestral Staffs are just a small pond that can never compare to the majestic river."

"Why would there be clones in this place? Who can make clones of a god's item? Also, why is it that only my Ancestral Staff is the real God Staff?" Gabriel had many questions already, especially regarding how different he was from the others.

"What stupid question." The little girl rolled her eyes. Even though her tone sounded like she was looking down on Gabriel, but her childish looks and her cute voice completely destroyed her harsh image. No matter how angry she was, she always looked like a child who couldn't intimidate anyone.

The little girl didn't notice that Gabriel was looking at her weirdly. She just continued, "Of course the gods themselves made the clones."

"Why?" Even though Gabriel had a rough guess that it was the work of the gods, he still didn't understand why they would do something like that.

Just what did they receive by doing this? Why did they create the Holy Lords? Why did they share their powers from generation to generation? Why were the Churches created? The questions just kept on multiplying.

"More than why they did what they did, I'm curious about why you have the real God's Staff. And that too, something that belonged to the most frightening of them all?"

The little girl was so fascinated that she subconsciously reached out her hand to touch Gabriel's Ancestral Staff.

She was so fast that before Gabriel could even react, the little girl's hands were already on his Ancestral Staff.

He wanted to move back, but before he could, he felt something strange. It was as if a strange power inside the Ancestral Staff had awakened on his own. The power felt scary and dangerous, yet it didn't hurt him.

The same couldn't be said about the little girl though. As soon as her fingers touched Gabriel's staff, her face turned deathly pale.

Her body flew back on its own, falling in the distance as if the little demigod who could scare everyone with her mighty strength was nothing more than a powerless doll in front of an item that belonged to a true God.

Blood came out from the little girl's eyes, ears, nose and lips. Her face was still pale and her body was weak. Just one touch was enough to injure the little girl.

Fortunately, the little girl was strong and didn't die from the backlash.

Her breathing was rough yet she gathered herself and stood up, wiping blood from her face.

Gabriel assumed that she was going to be angry and was going to attack him. However the little girl instead started laughing...

"Hahahaha! As expected of a crazy god's item! It doesn't even let me touch it! Just a single touch and I felt like my soul was going to be ripped into pieces! No wonder Karyk was the nightmare of all the gods!"

Instead of being angry, the girl appeared more excited. For a moment, Gabriel even wondered if there was something wrong in the little girl's head or if she liked getting hurt.

"Are you alright?" Gabriel asked. The girl didn't have any visible wounds on her body, yet her eyes, nose and ears were still bleeding. Despite that, she still wasn't phased in the least.

"Why won't I be fine?" The little girl asked as if she really had no idea why Gabriel would ask something like that.

Gabriel could only scratch the back of his head, wondering if the little girl was an idiot.

He pointed toward his own eyes, as if signaling the little girl that her eyes were still bleeding.

Unfortunately, the little girl still didn't understand. She just looked back at Gabriel, wondering what he was trying to say.

"Your eyes are still bleeding, idiot." Gabriel couldn't take it anymore and blurted out. "Are you sure you're fine? I know some healing spells if you need my help."

No matter how childish and stupid the little girl appeared to be, she was still a Demigod level powerhouse who didn't seem to have any bias toward Karyk or people associated with him. If only her enmity with Alion could be kept aside, she could clearly be a good ally for his trip inside the city of gods.

"Oh? Only this? I thought something big happened." The little girl shrugged. "This will heal on its own. My self healing isn't much worse than the healing spells."

"Anyway, you still didn't tell me why you have Karyk's real staff? And why didn't it reject you in the first place?" she asked again. That question was still plaguing her mind.

"Even though I've never seen or come in contact with the Death Star, I've heard a lot about him in the past. Let alone an ordinary mortal from this place, even gods weren't capable of controlling something that belonged to the Death Star. So how could you do it?"

"The real staff of Karyk?" Gabriel glanced at his Ancestral Staff.

He already believed that this staff was what Karyk created and used in the past. He thought the same for all the other Ancestral Staffs that he saw before. However, to find out that only this was the real thing? That was shocking even for himself.

"Who exactly are you?" The little girl asked Gabriel in full seriousness. "Last time, I at least felt the aura of Light coming from you. However, now I can't feel a single trace. It's as if you're nothing more than an ordinary mortal with no element."

Not only was Gabriel able to hide his aura of death after last night, but he was also able to use all the other Elemental auras inside him, which gave others the impression that he was no more than a mortal.

If the little girl hadn't felt the same scent from Gabriel that she felt last night, she wouldn't have even recognised them as the same person.

"You're mistaken. How can you sense him last night when he wasn't even there?" Alion stepped in between Gabriel and the little girl. "And what Element of Light? Do you really think someone with the Element of Light can use the Godly Staff of Death?"

The little girl looked back and forth between Gabriel and Alion in confusion, wondering if this guy was implying that she was mistaken.

undefinedBefore the little girl could even speak anything, Alion once again forcefully chimed in. "Ah, are you talking about his twin brother?"

"Twin brother?!" The little girl and Gabriel, both exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes. His twin brother has the Element of Light while he has the Element of Death. The person you saw last night must be the Holy Lord of Light who was his twin brother."

The little girl frowned, wondering if she really was wrong. She had never even seen who was behind the shroud of light last night. However, the voice of that person was the same as the voice of the one who stood before her now. Their physiques were the same as well and so was their scent. Only the elemental aura was different.

While the person last night had the aura as powerful as a Holy Lord, the one before her had a silent aura that was impossible to even sense.

"If the two really are twins, that can explain the same scent. However, can there really be such a coincidence?"

For quite some time, the little girl was immersed in her own thoughts, looking at Gabriel before her.

Meanwhile, Gabriel was also stunned with this story. If he was in the little girl's place, even he might've believed Alion. The story that Alion made up was stupid according to him. However, that was precisely why people would have tended to believe him since no one would've made such a stupid story if it wasn't true.

'Why did you lie to her?' Gabriel sent a mental transmission to Alion secretly.

'Do you really want her to know that you can control more than one element this time?' Alion's expressions were calm. It didn't even look like he was secretly talking to someone.

'Even though Jia is quite an airhead and not scheming, but that's precisely why we have to be careful of her. Even if she doesn't have any bad blood with Karyk, but there are many others who do. If she secretly leaked the information about you and your multiple elements, it'd be a disaster.'

Gabriel glanced at the little girl in the distance who was called Jia. The little girl really didn't appear as if she was going to do anything bad. She was just like a child who was fascinated by things around her.

"Wait a minute!" Just as it looked as if the little girl was about to believe Alion's story, she suddenly glared at Alion. "Where is his twin if that's the case?"

Even though it appeared as if the little girl was still investigating the truth and raising questions that were hard to answer, but for Gabriel, this was a perfect opportunity!

"He entered the City before us, as a vanguard. If you want to meet him, you should come with us."

He was already trying to think of a way to convince Jia to enter with him and Alion. He never expected that her question and her suspicions would give him an opportunity.

If he lured her with the excuse of bringing her to his brother to remove her suspicions, he could truly lead her inside. Not only could the present of another Demigod improve their strength, but she could also help them face troubles that needed brute strength to solve them.

Jia rubbed her chin, as if thinking again. Throughout his interaction with Jia, Gabriel had already realized that the little girl was very slow when it came to thinking. It was as if she often had a hard time thinking and that's why she did whatever came to her heart.

Just as she expected, after thinking for a short while, the girl only looked frustrated as she started scratching the back of her head.

"Argh, enough with this! I'll enter with you! I also want to see your twin to see if you're telling the truth. I also need to know more about you to understand why you can use the Death Star's staff."

Gabriel didn't show it on his face, but he found the little girl to be quite cute, just like a little puppy. She was fierce when she needed to be, but deep inside, she wasn't a bad person. If Alion hadn't given her a rude nickname for the world to laugh at her, she probably wouldn't have chased Alion for so long.

Now that Gabriel had two demigods accompanying him to the ruined land of gods, he felt much safer. He didn't feel that he would need to call Raphael to help him anymore. However, even if he felt the need, Raphael was just one spell away.

This was probably the strongest exploration group of the abandoned City of Gods ever.

"Even though you're coming with us, you need to listen to me. Don't run around aimlessly and don't touch anything without my permission. It's dangerous inside even for us, so follow our instructions!" Alion reminded the little girl one last time before he finally stepped inside the Abandoned City of Gods through the main entrance.

Gabriel was only a few steps behind him, accompanied by Jia who kept asking him question after question. Most of her questions were about Karyk, the inheritance and the Ancestral Staff. Unfortunately, she didn't get any answers from Gabriel as even he didn't know much about anything.

Even Alion kept his silence.

The group of three was finally inside the Abandoned City of Gods that had always been a mystery for the outside world. It was said to be a city where real gods used to live after all!

"I must say, your twin is much better than you. At least he used to speak when I asked him questions. But you... You don't even answer."

Jia was still distracted by Gabriel to realize that she had already entered the City of Gods. It was as if she didn't even consider this place to be worth her attention.

"When we meet him, you can ask him any question you want." Gabriel still had no idea how he was going to explain to the little girl about the absence of his twin when they reached the core, but he left that for later. For now, he could only use his non-existent twin to his advantage.

"Hmph, he must be older than you. Even though he's not as wise as me, but he's much wiser than you." Jia spoke bluntly, not even realizing that her words only made Gabriel more amused. The little airhead was actually calling herself wiser than him.

If she had said she was stronger than him, he must've reluctantly believed her, but when it came to everything else... She was just too far behind others.

undefined"Stop talking now. We are inside the city! Remember what I said before! Don't touch anything here! Anything can be a trap, even a random piece of stone on the streets!" Alion reminded everyone once again, turning around.

However, as soon as he turned around, his jaws dropped.

His stunned expressions even made Gabriel wonder just why Alion was so shocked. However, it wasn't until he heard the little girl that he realized what had happened.

"This status isn't bad. It should be the divine beast of the old era." Jia was already standing near one of the stone pillars which had a majestic statue sitting atop.

The statue belonged to a beast that Gabriel hadn't seen in reality. Not only did the beast have six wings, but his body was that of a fierce seven-clawed lion. Even though it was just a statue, there was still a powerful suppression that could be felt from the statue, as if it contained a trace of the will from the maker of the statue.

Just from the trace of suppression alone, Gabriel was sure that the person who made this status was at least a Demigod!

"You crazy airhead!" Alion roared with a facepalm. It hadn't even been a minute since he told everyone to not touch anything here, and the little girl was already sitting atop the majestic statue, poking it.

Even Gabriel could only smile wryly. Finally he understood why Alion felt the need to give the little girl a nickname like that. She really never listened or thought about the dangers with her actions.

"Stop being a scaredy cat. What are you worried about? It's just a statue that's catching dust here. It's not like it's going to come alive and attack us." Sitting above the majestic six winged tiger, Jia rolled her eyes as if mocking Alion for being so cautious.

"You-" Alion was about to respond and tell her to get down and stop playing around. However, he stopped abruptly as his shocked expressions turned into a smirk.

Even Gabriel was taken aback. Initially he thought that it was just his misconception but when it happened a second time, he understood that he wasn't imagining things! The six winged tiger statue... Its eyes were opening slowly, as if it really was alive.

He reached out his hand subconsciously to alert Jia who was still atop the lion. Unfortunately, before he could speak, Alion appeared before him and closed his mouth, gesturing to him to stay silent.

He calmly whispered, "It's time she learned her lesson. Don't interfere!"

Gabriel could only rub his forehead, feeling as if he was caught in a fight between two kids. Even Alion acted like a child at times like this.

Alion's grin widened. "You're right. It's not like the statue can come back to life. However, this statue lacks quality. It needs some finishing touches from an expert like you! How about you use your swords to give it some final touches to make it look even better?"

Gabriel could only remain silent in the back, watching the scene between two demigods who were like the peak existences in this world, yet they were both like that in reality. If others got to know the real personality of these deity-like existences, he wondered just what their reaction was going to be.

The little girl didn't find anything suspicious in Alion's words or his sudden change of behavior. Instead, she was quite pleased.

"Hahaha, you finally understand how talented I am. I suppose I can forgive you for your past mistakes now that you see the truth!"

This time, even Gabriel couldn't help but facepalm himself. He wasn't sure if the girl was a narcissist or if she really believed those words because of her dense personality.

No matter what the case, the little girl was convinced with Alion's words.

She raised her heavy sword, flying slightly higher. "I really should improve this statue. It'd be a pity if such a bad statue was seen by others."

"She's going to use that heavy Sword to carve the statue? Won't that break the statue in one stroke?" Gabriel wondered out loud.

"You think that dunce knows anything about carving statues?" Alion rolled his eyes. "Just he prepared to watch a good show."

Jia raised her heavy sword, trying to use it like a fine blade to improve the statue according to her desires. Her Sword came slashing down, as if about to strike one of the six wings of the lion, looking to cut it off entirely.

Boom ~

Her Sword clashed with the stone pillar, bringing the entire stone pillar down. However, Jia wasn't happy. Just as her sword was about to touch the stone statue, the statue disappeared in thin air, making the sword hit the stone pillar!

Roarrr~

A wild roar resounded in the air, accompanied by the aura of a Demigod! Even though the aura in the will of the statue was just a small fragment of the sculpture's own strength and will, but that small fragment was also the strength of a real Demigod.

Jia looked above her head. The stone statue that had gone missing was in the air, above her. All six wings of the stone tiger were wide open, making the seven clawed lion look even more majestic.

The wild Lion was looking at Jia fiercely, as if it couldn't wait to rip the girl apart!

"Oh? The thing really came alive," Jia let out in surprise. She looked back at Alion on the ground. "You really have a cursed mouth, don't you?"

"You dunce, you talked about it not coming alive. You're the only cursed mouth here!" Alion rolled his eyes.

He tapped Gabriel's shoulders. "Let's get going first. She'll catch up to us soon."

Alion didn't even consider trying to help Jia. If anything, he wanted to leave her behind for now and continue ahead.

In the sky, Jia had already started fighting the stone statue which was somehow able to keep up with her.

Even the impact of their clashes was able to send waves down in the surrounding, occasionally even making the ground tremble.

undefinedThe Stone Lion was very swift and even faster than Jia. It was able to avoid Jia's Sword as if it had intelligence of its own and knew what was dangerous.

The stone lion barely gave Jia an opportunity to get close to it.

"Isn't it just a stone statue? How is it able to keep up with a Demigod?"

Even though the stone statue was something that existed in this unknown City, but still it was just a statue while Jia was a real Demigod. To see the two on an equal footing was surprising even for Gabriel.

If just a stone statue was this strong, Gabriel couldn't help but wonder how strong the sculpture of this statue was.

"If you knew the creator of that stone statue, you wouldn't have asked that question. Even though that person wasn't a god, he was a Demigod who was closest to being a god. No matter how strong Jia is, she isn't in the same league as that guy." Alion observed the majestic stone statue in the sky.

"In that era, that guy was quite famous as well. The Stone Lion statue was probably something that he made when he was quite young. It doesn't even have a fraction of the strength of his other statues that I saw before."

"In that case, can that little girl actually hold the Stone Lion back? Won't we have to deal with it later when it attacks us if Jia fails?" Even though Gabriel didn't like the fact that they were pulled into a fight out of nowhere, but it was also true that they could only destroy that stone statue if they wanted to progress further.

Alion shrugged, as if he didn't even consider the possibility.

"Even though the stone statue is strong, it can't last long in a battle with someone like that crazy girl."

"Doesn't look like that." Gabriel could see that it didn't look like Jia had any advantage. She was completely defeated in speed which made it impossible for her heavy sword to even touch the stone lion.

"You might not know this, but there's a reason I don't fight that crazy girl." Alion had a lot of comprehension in his eyes as he looked at the battle. "That girl is a battle maniac. While other people exhaust their strength in a long fight, this girl gets stronger the longer she fights."

"That's why, it's better to avoid fighting this girl if one can't kill her immediately. Otherwise, she'll only keep getting stronger until she wins while others exhaust their strength."

Thanks to Alion, Gabriel finally managed to understand why he avoided the little girl so much instead of just fighting once. With an ability like that, the girl was really a headache for her enemies.

It was also just like Alion had explained. The longer this battle went on, the stronger Jia appeared. With time, her speed only increased more and more, until her speed finally surpassed the lion.

The speed that she showed now was comparable to her speed when she had tossed the Sword away last time. However, the surprising part was that she still held the sword this time. It only made Gabriel wonder just what her speed was going to be in this battle at this point if she tossed away that sword now.

Now that the gap in speed was covered, even the stone Lion couldn't keep up with the little girl who appeared right above it.

Jia thrust her sword down which passed straight through the Seven Clawed Lion. The Lion that was so fierce previously froze in place as its body was impaled with Jia's sword.

Cracks started developing around the body of the Stone Lion as soon as the little girl pulled out her heavy sword. Before long, its entire body was covered in cracks.

Right before everyone's eyes, the Stone Lion shattered into thousands of pieces.

"Too bad, I wanted to use my sculpting skills to make it look even better." The little girl stood mid-air watching the stone pieces fall to the ground. "Who would've thought that it would be so ungrateful."

Even though all the stone statues had fallen to the ground, there was still a small speck of white light floating mid-air that seemingly came out of the stone lion's body.

Jia didn't care about the speck of light as if it wasn't even worth her attention.

Instead, it was Alion who paid more attention to that small speck of white light.

His figure flickered as he appeared mid-air, right before Jia. He reached out his hand, grabbing the speck of light before appearing back on the ground next to Gabriel.

Jia also landed on the ground, slightly curious as to why Alion would take that speck of light which had no use for them.

She soon received her answer as Alion reached out his hand, opening his fist before Gabriel, revealing the speck of light.

"Here, this is the small bit of comprehension that the sculptor of the Stone Lion left inside to make it work. It's useless for us, but it should bring you quite a few benefits."

Alion gave the small speck of light to Gabriel.

Gabriel also thought that this speck of light appeared somewhat special. This was something that belonged to a powerful demigod after all. If he could get even the slightest bit of understanding about how these statues were created from this speck of light, it was truly beneficial to him.

Not only could he have a better way to deal with such statues in the future, but he could also create something of his own. However, that was only his assumption for now. He still had no idea if it was going to work or not.

Gabriel reached out his hand, touching the small speck of light, which was absorbed directly inside his body.

Gabriel closed his eyes, feeling a strange sense of comprehension that had entered his mind. It was as if a strange knowledge was being comprehended by him on its own. For a moment, he even forgot about his surroundings, deeply immersed in the knowledge.

Gabriel was immersed in his thoughts. He could see some scenes in his mind where the Stone Lion was being created. The small speck of light contained the entire process of creation, along with something more. Unfortunately, he still couldn't see the face of the sculptor.

As Gabriel was standing silently like he was also a statue, Jia was looking at him with great curiosity.

"Old man, for you to try to help this kid like that... And for him to have that Ancestral Staff... Why don't you be direct and just tell me who he is? And why are you so helping toward him?"

"Do I need your permission to help someone?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you help someone else. In fact, you were always such a loner, only association with the Death Star. After the death of Karyk, you also disappeared. To think you appeared again, and for this kid... Why?" Jia's heart was still filled with curiosity. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a reason.

undefined"Wait a minute!" Her eyes lit up suddenly, revealing a trace of shock as she stared at the Ancestral Staff in Gabriel's hand and his aura. "Don't tell me he is...?"

Alion's face turned darker, glaring at the little girl before him. A trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes as he thought that she found out the truth.

He couldn't let this leak, no matter what. He clenched his fist, ready to attack the girl.

"Don't tell me he's your secret son?!" The little girl exclaimed, blankly staring at Alion. "Since you've been loyal to Karyk, it would make sense that Karyk left his Godly Staff to you before his death! You gave that staff to your son? No wonder you're helping him so much!"

Alion's face twitched uncontrollably as he heard the little girl spot nonsense. She already thought she was stupid, but even he hadn't expected her to come to this conclusion out of nowhere.

"Nonsense! He's not my son!" Alion snorted coldly.

"Not your son? Then is he Karyk's son?" The little girl was somehow still stuck on the possibility of Gabriel being the son of some great person to have such qualifications.

She was sure of one thing. The Ancestral Staff of Karyk contained his will! It couldn't be taken with force. Even gods couldn't touch this staff, let alone use it. And with the kind of personality that Karyk had, he never would've let strangers use his staff, even after his death.

For the Ancestral Staff to acknowledge Karyk, Jia was sure that Gabriel was somehow deeply associated with Karyk. She just wasn't sure how.

Alion could only facepalm himself.

On the other side of the City, Elora and her team had also entered the City. Thanks to the compass of disasters, they had somehow managed to avoid dangerous places.

Unlike Jia, they didn't touch anything on their way. If anything, they were even more cautious than Alion.

Elora occasionally kept looking in the direction of the City where Gabriel was standing as she heard some sound of battle. She was really curious as to who was fighting... Who was strong enough that they could change the direction of the wind and make the ground tremble.

However, just as she was considering the possibility of going there to see, she heard Maya call out to her.

"That direction... It's dangerous!"

Maya pointed in the same direction where Gabriel was present. For some reason, her compass kept pointing in that direction, trembling as if the dangers in that direction were the highest in the entire city.

Thanks to Maya's warning, Elora dropped the idea of checking things out. She progressed further with the help of the map, even improving the map herself, marking all the new things she found along the way.

Even though they had only walked one kilometer inside the city, they had still seen a lot of things that they had never seen in their lives before.

Even the outer layer of the city was filled with the purest aura of heaven and earth, which was quite similar to the aura of their Holy Region.

Gabriel opened his eyes after close to an hour. He appeared slightly distant as he woke up, looking at the broken pieces of the Stone Lion.

"How are you feeling?" Alion asked. "Did you gain something?"

Gabriel nodded. "I think I gained a lot of understanding about the statues. They're strong yet fragile at the same time..."

"That's good. As demigods, we can't use that comprehension or we'll only taint our own source but you're different. It can be considered a gain for you."

"However, this is just the outskirts of the City. So the dangers here are limited. The deeper we go, the more dangerous it'll be. So this time, don't play around."

Even though Alion talked as if he was speaking to everyone, it was clear to Gabriel that he was reminding the little girl who forgot his instructions again and again.

Gabriel also knew that Alion wasn't joking. The City was the only way that led to the region between life and death. And that place was something which even left mortal wounds on Karyk once upon a time.

They really couldn't afford to play around anymore. He knew that he had to make sure that Jia didn't do anything stupid anymore.

He stepped closer to Jia and held her soft hands. From a distance, it looked as if an elder brother was holding onto the hands of his little sister.

"What are you doing?" The little girl raised her head to look at Gabriel who was a lot taller than her. Out of nowhere, Gabriel held her hands. Jia's face had an unusual shade as her expressions shifted.

"This city is dangerous. We should walk together so we don't get lost," Gabriel said, making up an excuse.

After spending so much time with Jia, Gabriel was already sure that the more he forced her to do something, the more she was going to do something entirely different. He couldn't be headstrong with her, leaving him with a gentler approach.

As long as she could hold her hand and walk with her, he could make sure she didn't leave suddenly like before, bringing dangers to them.

"Why don't you hold that old man's hand then?" The little girl asked. There were two demigods here but Gabriel was only holding her hand, despite knowing Alion for much longer.

Since Gabriel was quite tall compared to Jia, it was uncomfortable to talk to her like that. He went down on one knee before the little girl, still holding her hand.

His eyes looked deep in the little girl's beautiful yet innocent eyes.

"I care more for you!"

Even though his meaning was that he cared more about the little girl bringing dangers to them with her nativity, to the little girl's ears, the words held a completely different meaning which made her stunned.

A red shade appeared on her cheeks. With her personality, people only ran away from her. She had been all alone, traveling and fighting with others. People were either scared of her, or avoided her, calling her crazy. It wasn't wrong to say that she had been alone all her life, not even having any friends.

It was the first time someone came close to her intentionally and even held her hand, telling her that they cared for her. In her ears, those words implied that she was precious for Gabriel, which sent her in a daze.

What was even worse was that Gabriel's eyes were so beautiful that she even lost herself in those eyes, not even realizing how fast her heart was beating. It was the first time she felt that strange and unfamiliar feeling.

For the first time, Jia was short of words. She avoided Gabriel's gaze yet still didn't pull her hand back from his hands. "A-alright. Since you insist!"

Gabriel stood up, not speaking anything more. As long as the little girl didn't run around randomly, everything else was much safer.

Gabriel followed Alion inside the Abandoned City of Gods, holding the little girl's hands firmly. He didn't notice Jia glancing at him from time to time with an unnatural expression.

The City was still completely intact. It was as if the buildings were still completely new, with not even a single crack or mark of damage throughout the years.

Unfortunately, there were no signs of life in this city anymore. It was as if it was a ghost town in this place.

undefinedAlong the way, Gabriel noticed a few more statues, all belonging to different beasts that Gabriel had never seen before.

Fortunately, thanks to Gabriel holding Jia's hands, she didn't run around to mess with the statues. If anything, Jia also seemed slightly reluctant to free her hands. Even she didn't understand what she was feeling and why there was this reluctance.

"Are these statues based on the sculptor's imaginations or such beasts really existed in the era of gods?" Gabriel stood before the statue of a nine headed snake. The snake was much bigger than an ordinary snake. It was as if a single head of the snake alone could swallow the entire seven clawed tiger in an instant.

"Not just the era of gods. Those beasts still exist," Alion answered.

"That's true. I think I remember seeing this beast before. It tasted really good." The little girl chimed in. In her eyes, some longing could be seen, as if she really wanted to have a taste of this snake again.

Gabriel didn't know how to react. The snake that looked so fierce was just the food for the little girl?

"Don't be surprised." Alion shook his head, noticing the stunned expressions of Gabriel. "Even though the beasts in these statues might look fierce, they are not particularly strong in reality. The Snake is much weaker than the tiger that crazy girl fought before."

"If the stone statues alone have the strength of a Demigod, shouldn't the real beasts be even stronger?" Gabriel asked, wondering if there were beasts that were as strong as gods.

According to Alion and Jia, those beasts still existed even though he hadn't seen them before. In other terms, they were just like gods and Demigods who were real yet unseen in this world.

"Stronger Beasts?" Alion frowned. He didn't answer the question directly. "I've no idea what the current situation outside is now, but when I last saw, there were definitely some beasts who were as strong as gods, receiving natural blessings."

Jia agreed with Alion. "That's right. There are some really strong beast clans outside, especially the ones who can take a human form."

"Beasts that can transform into a human form?" Let alone seeing one, Gabriel hadn't even considered the possibility of that being the case.

There were so many powerful beings yet he had only seen the Holy Lords and thought that it was the peak of this world? He couldn't help but feel as if he was like a frog at the bottom of the well.

"By outside, you mean...?" he asked.

"Of course the world outside this prison," Jia answered, not even noticing Alion's expressions who was trying to gesture to her to stop speaking.

Unfortunately for him, Jia completely ignored Alion. In her eyes, there was only one person for now... The man who held her hand.

"A world outside this prison?" Gabriel's eyes lit up as he understood what she implied. He had always considered the possibility of there existing another world since Karyk had to kill multiple powerful people to help his sister that he couldn't find in this world.

As Karyk succeeded in the end, that meant there was actually a place where beings like demigods were common. Jia also confirmed his suspicions.

"So the gods and the demigods of this world went to that place? That's why this city was abandoned?" Gabriel asked. "You also came from that place?"

Finally he had an idea as to why the era of gods ended in this place and why the gods who could live for an eternity as long as they weren't killed had disappeared into thin air.

"That's right. This was the reward they received after Karyk's death," Jia replied.

"That's enough! Stop speaking. We're getting late!" Alion forcefully interjected, trying to stop Jia from speaking more. He was finally starting to regret bringing Jia with him.

"No need. I want to know more!" Gabriel didn't let Alion do as he pleased. He always wanted to know just what happened to Karyk in the past. Even though he didn't understand why Alion was hesitant in telling him about what happened in the past, but finally Gabriel had another hope!

It wasn't just Alion who knew what happened! Jia was also a Demigod from that era and knew almost just as much. What was even better was that Jia wasn't on good terms with Alion. He could truly receive the answers he was looking for.

Even though he didn't want to delay rescuing his two teachers, but he couldn't ignore the answers either. He wanted to know everything and better prepare himself for what was to come!

Jia felt Gabriel's grip tightened around her hand. He looked somewhat uneasy.

"Can you tell me more about Karyk's death? How did he die? I heard he was the strongest. He was the Lord who ruled over life and death. So how could he die that easily?" Gabriel stopped right where he was, once again going into his knees, looking straight in the little girl's eyes so that Alion couldn't distract her or interfere.

Jia was surprised to see Gabriel so eager to know about the past. What stunned her even more was that Alion didn't tell Gabriel himself. Alion used to be the closest to Karyk after all.

Unfortunately for her, all her questions disappeared as soon as she looked in Gabriel's eyes. She couldn't say no to that person. She didn't care why Alion didn't say anything. In any case, this wasn't a secret. Almost everyone from that era knew about this truth!

"Alright. I'll tell you how the Death Star was killed..." Jia nodded.

Alion wanted to stop her, but he knew he couldn't force her. If he tried to fight her to stop her, it could only make Gabriel hate him more.

In the end, he just stood frozen in his place, not speaking anything. Even though it was sooner than he wanted, he let destiny play out.

There was complete silence as three people stood in the middle of the desolate street.

The silence was finally broken by Jia.

"It wouldn't be wrong to say that the Death Star was the leader of his generation. I don't know how much you know about the era before the gods, but it was said that the Death Star was the first person to become a god in this world."

"He was also the one who opened the path for other humans to become gods by destroying the balance of natural forces."

"Some called him god, some called him a demon. However, what remained unchanged was that no one could stand before him, or oppose him. Even though the other gods didn't fight with Karyk together, it was clear that they weren't a match for him."

undefined"Fortunately for them, Karyk didn't look for trouble with them either. For the most part, Karyk was a loner himself, only having a few friends... If those people could be called that."

"For a long time, there was a fragile power balance. Karyk didn't look for trouble with the other gods and the other gods and avoided interacting with him. However, there were two Gods who didn't avoid Karyk... It could be said that they were also the reason this fragile balance was broken..."

Even though Jia hadn't met with Karyk before, but since Karyk was the legendary figure from the forgotten era, there were a lot of stories about him that were passed down. Fortunately, no one dared to fake stories related to Karyk.

"The Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Nature?" Gabriel asked. Jia said that Karyk only talked with two gods. Gabriel had already experienced Karyk's interaction with the Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Nature, so it didn't take him long to guess that.

"That's right." Jia was slightly taken aback. At times, Gabriel was as if he didn't even know the basic things about Karyk's past, while at other times, he knew a lot.

"The fragile balance was soon broken when Karyk fought with the Goddess of Nature. No one knows why the two of them fought but the result is still widely known. It was said that Karyk not only defeated the Goddess of Nature but he also imprisoned her in some unknown place."

Gabriel remained silent, hearing about Karyk's past. He already knew why Karyk fought the Goddess of Nature, but he didn't talk about it. There was no need for others to know.

"It was the first time Karyk had gone against another god, showing his true strength. Not only did this break the fragile power balance between two sides, but it even scared the other gods, making them worry if they could resist when Karyk came for them with his army."

"It was said that the time was so tense that a large-scale war could've started at any moment where billions of lives would've been sacrificed. Fortunately, someone interfered and stopped it."

'The Goddess of Light...' Gabriel thought. He already knew that after Karyk imprisoned the Goddess of Nature, the Goddess of Light came to him and blackmailed him into imprisoning his own army to satisfy the other gods in exchange for the stone of destiny.

"Even now, no one knows what the Goddess of Light talked about or how she convinced Karyk , but when she returned, the news spread that Karyk had agreed to compromise with the other gods."

"To ease the concerns of the other gods, Karyk agreed to seal his army for a thousand years, weakening his own strength in the process. This outcome didn't completely satisfy the other gods, but the tensions were eased. At least the other gods had faith that they could fight Karyk now if he attacked them."

Gabriel already knew up to this point. However, what he truly wanted to know was what happened after this point.

Fortunately, Jia didn't stop there. "That was where everyone thought this would end. Unfortunately, that was just the start."

"For over three years, Karyk disappeared. No one knew where he actually went but no one saw him in the coming years. There were many rumors at that time, like Karyk was hiding now that he had lost his army, or that he was creating another army. The rumors were endless."

"Disappeared for a few years?" Gabriel frowned, glancing at Alion. Jia was only telling what she heard and what the people of that time knew. However, Alion was much closer to Karyk. Gabriel was sure that he knew exactly where Karyk went.

"Don't look at me like that. The little girl also knows where Karyk went at that time." Alion rolled his eyes. Even though he was still irritated that the girl told Gabriel what she shouldn't, but he didn't interfere.

Jia still didn't pay attention to Alion and continued, "After three years, Karyk appeared once again. There were some wounds on his body. It was unclear how he got hurt, but his aura was very unstable."

"According to the people who saw him at that time, he looked as if he was extremely weak and he could die at any time. Even his clothes were covered in blood."

Jia could see that Gabriel was extremely immersed in her story. It was as if he could imagine Karyk standing in the middle of the streets, covered in blood and injured.

She didn't find it odd. She knew that she was also like that when she first heard this story from the others. Unfortunately, she didn't realize that Gabriel's immersion was different.

Gabriel wasn't just visualizing what she was saying. Instead, he was living that scene! He didn't know why, but he felt as if he stood exactly where Karyk stood at that time, covered in blood and heavily injured. Even his own heartbeat was racing.

He could feel the pain that was coming from the depths of his soul, as if he could really experience it.

It was as if he alone stood in this world, facing what others would've called invincible.

"Even in that condition, Karyk didn't go back to his palace to recover. He stood in the middle of the City while his blood kept dripping on the ground."

"That was the day where Karyk cast a spell that was never before seen in this world! A spell of this scale and this magnitude... Let alone before that time, but even in the future, no one saw something similar."

"Even though I wasn't there at that time, but even I saw the phenomenon that could be seen from all around the world. In fact, I don't think there wasn't a person in this world who didn't see it!"

Jia raised her head, looking at the sky as if she could still see that phenomenon even now.

"That day, the entire sky turned dark! The sun was hidden behind a dark mist. The beautiful blue sky turned dark. I can still feel the chill."

Jia wrapped her arms around her body as if she was freezing. Gabriel could also see some traces of fear in the eyes of the little girlā€¦ something he never saw before.

"It became so cold that day, as if even my soul was going to freeze! That was the day I saw the true strength of the Death Star! That was the day when I truly understood why everyone in this world was so scared of him!"

"That was the day this world was sealed..."

Alion had been silent all this while, but ultimately, he also started speaking. His memory was still so vivid, as if everything had happened just yesterday.

The little girl nodded. "That's right. At that time, no one knew what that spell did. Some even thought that the spell was going to destroy everything. Multiple shackles could be seen flying through the skies all around the world that day."

The sky was crystal clear and bright blue. It was even hard to imagine that this sky used to be all black once upon a time.

"You can't see the shackles anymore but they still exist outside. Even though so many years have passed since Death Star passed away, his shackles are still intact, although slightly weaker than they used to be at the start."

undefinedGabriel looked up at the beautiful sky. He had never guessed that this was the imprisonment that Alion talked about before. If he imagined this world as the Goddess of Nature, the shackles around the world were similar to the shackles around her.

"He sealed this world, but this time, it wasn't to keep the people of this world imprisoned, was it?" Gabriel wondered. Usually, when something was imprisoned, it was to make sure they didn't roam around freely outside,l. However, from what he was told, the situation this time was different.

"This world was imprisoned to keep the outsiders from entering this place?" he asked.

Even though Alion didn't answer, it was already quite clear.

"If I'm not wrong, the years where he was missing, he wasn't even in this world. Instead, he was outside, killing and gathering soup strength for the stone of destiny."

"That means the people who managed to hurt him were also the people from the outside. To prevent them from entering this place, Karyk sealed this place."

Even with the limited pieces of information that Gabriel had, he understood multiple times. The people of this world weren't strong enough to suppress Karyk. However, when the outsiders were thrown in the mix, that changed the entire situation, making it much more complicated.

Gabriel continued with his line of thought. Since Karyk was already dead, that could only mean he failed in the end. "Despite the sealing of the world, those people managed to enter this place and Karyk died? Did the sealing spell not succeed?"

"How could that be? The sealing spell completely exhausted Karyk. He even used a part of his soul, sacrificing it entirely to seal this place. The spell was a success and even gods couldn't trespass the barrier." Alion sighed. "Unfortunately, when things start falling apart, misfortune comes one after another."

He further continued, as if forgetting that he was the one who was against telling Gabriel everything. "Since Karyk was in a hurry, he didn't even completely wait for himself to heal after this large scale spell before going to the ridge between life and death to recover his sister's soul."

"His sister's soul? The ridge between life and death?" The little girl asked, stunned. Even though she knew that Karyk disappeared, but she didn't know the exact reasoning behind it. Just as she expected, Alion knew more about Karyk than she did!

"So that's where he was when he disappeared for two more years after casting that large scale sealing spell?"

"Hmph. If he didn't go there, do you think things would've deteriorated to the level they did?" Alion coldly asked. "Karyk was said to be a ruthless and emotionless being. However, if he really was like that, could he really have trusted those shameless gods to forget the grudge between them?"

"You mean...?" Gabriel frowned.

Alion sounded angry but there was also a trace of sadness in his tone. "One could guard against the outside enemies, but when the enemies come from within, all precautions fail..."

"While Karyk was missing for the next two years, the outsiders found a way to contact the people of our world. They contacted the strongest gods of this world, and even some demigods." Even though Jia didn't know where Gabriel had gone for two years in the past, she knew everything that happened outside at that time.

"The outsiders gave the gods some advantages. They even offered them treasures and opportunities to enter their world which was filled with treasures and growth opportunities. All they had to do was help them make a small opening in the barrier."

"Since the gods already had some bad relationship with Karyk, they didn't even hesitate in the slightest."

"After seeing Karyk's large-scale spell, they further realized the difference between the two sides at that time. They just didn't want to allow Karyk to exist anymore," the little girl spoke. "While Karyk was missing, the two sides worked together and finally found a way to create a small opening in the barrier."

"Karyk came out after two years. He was already hurt before entering the ridge between life and death because of the large scale spell and using a part of his soul on the Barrier. Inside the ridge, his body and soul was even more hurt," Alion again took the lead. "He was already at his weakest."

"Even the person known as the god of death couldn't travel safely in that place. When Karyk came out of that place after succeeding, he was already at his weakest. However, by that time, those bastards were already here!" Some blood lust flashed in Alion's eyes. It was as if he wanted nothing more than to kill those people.

"The strongest beings of the outside world, and the gods of this world... All of them attacked Karyk as soon as he came out," Alion explained.

It was clear that he was having a hard time controlling his emotions. Gabriel couldn't help but wonder if this was the reason why Alion refused to tell him anything. Because he didn't want to remember that past?

"I don't know if he was taking precaution or he already expected this, but right before he was surrounded, he sent the stone of destiny with his sister's soul to me and told me to leave and hide..."

"Even though I wasn't there personally, I've heard some descriptions about that battle. That day, one person stood against everyone, all alone." Jia spoke. It was unclear if she was idolizing Karyk for his bravery, or for his strength, but in her eyes, it was clear that she respected him a lot.

Even at his weakest, Karyk didn't run. He stood in the middle of the onslaught, all alone. That kind of courage, she didn't think she could've displayed something similar.

"Before that day, this world used to contain three continents. However, after that day, only one continent was left... The one where we stand currently."

The little girl kept speaking, giving some brief descriptions about the battle that she hadn't personally experienced. However, she didn't even realize that Gabriel wasn't listening anymore.

It was as if Gabriel couldn't hear her at all. The entire world had turned silent for him. It was as if the entire world disappeared for him, only leaving him all alone in the darkness. He couldn't even hear his own breathing anymore.

He looked all around, but other than the darkness around him, he couldn't see anything.

"Jia! Alion!" He called out. Unfortunately, there was no response. Only his voice echoed in the darkness.

undefinedThe little girl finally stopped speaking, noticing that Gabriel was standing in a daze, living blankly in the distance. "Hey, are you even listening?"

"..."

She received no answer from Gabriel.

"Hey? Are you sleeping with your eyes open?" She asked, reaching out her hand, as if she was about to shake Gabriel to wake him up.

Thud~

The little girl was just about to touch Gabriel, but just as her fingers were about to land on Gabriel's shoulder, she dropped to her knees! It was as if someone had placed hundreds of mountains on her shoulders. Even a strong person like her couldn't resist that pressure.

She wasn't the only one who dropped to her knees either! Not too far from her, Alion also couldn't control his body. His face turned pale as he also dropped to his knees, unable to resist the pressure.

The pressure was felt in the entire city. The ground started trembling. Even Elora and her team dropped to their knees. They didn't even know where that pressure was coming from. All they knew was that they couldn't resist this pressure.

"Did we activate some trap?!" Maya exclaimed, slightly scared. "But we didn't touch anything! The compass didn't show anything either!"

Elora had no answer to give. Even she didn't know what happened suddenly. They were still in the outside layer. They had been quite careful to not touch anyone, afraid of activation traps. However, despite all that, they still fell for something.

She looked around, wondering what they did wrong!

Back in the Royal City of Arecia, the female envoy from the Temple of Time was still staying in the garden of legacy. She had tried everything, but she couldn't find anything out of place. It was as if the opening and the palace was really destroyed.

Unfortunately, despite having no evidence, she still felt that it wasn't right. She didn't believe that the palace and the army could be destroyed so easily, even if they were sealed! If it was that easy, that army wouldn't have been that famous!

"I can only wait for the higher ups to come and check personally," she muttered, wondering how long it was going to take for the others to come.

However, just as she finished speaking, her face turned pale. She felt a powerful pressure that forced her directly to her knees. She didn't even know where that pressure came from. However, she directly used her pendant to cast a shield to resist that pressure.

A red shield appeared all around the girl, protecting her from the pressure. She finally sighed in relief, forcing herself to stand.

Crack~

The girl had barely stood up when her shield started cracking apart. Her face went pale. The shield was her most powerful shield since it used the strength of the crystal but even that shield couldn't resist the strange pressure.

Right before her eyes, her shield shattered and she was once again forced down to her knees. This time, her fall was even worse, as if the pressure had multiplied on her.

Her knees started bleeding yet she couldn't do anything but resist the pain.

Thanks to secretly following the maid without letting her realize, Avilia was finally led to a small valley outside the Arecia Empire.

She finally saw the City of Abbadon that had disappeared the last time.

The maid entered the City but Avilia remained outside. She finally knew the location. Now all she had to do was enter and drag Lambard outside.

Avilia prepared herself for entering the City. However, before she could even move, a powerful pressure fell upon her, forcing her to her knees as well.

Inside the city, Lambard was standing on the balcony, looking outside.

"It's been so long since she went to gather information. She still isn't back. Could something have gone wrong?"

Lambard really didn't like leaving the City since he was more cautious about his safety. In fact, it was even more dangerous to leave this time after all the Churches issued bounty on his head. Despite that, he also couldn't let his maid die. She was his only companion.

In his eyes, hesitation could clearly be seen. He clenched his fist. "Whatever! I'll check it out personally!"

His entire body was covered with Numens of varying strengths and advantages.

"Master, I'm back!"

As Lambard decided to leave, he heard a sweet voice coming from behind. His eyes lit up as he turned around, finding the maid behind him. "You're back! I thought something happened to you! What took you so long!"

The young maid couldn't help but feel touched, seeing worries on Lambard's face. She had already heard that Lambard was willing to leave this place to find her.

"I-" the young maid opened her cherry lips to explain. However, before she could speak, her face went pale as her body subconsciously dropped to her knees.

It was the same for Lambard. He couldn't understand what was happening. Even all his defensive Numens couldn't resist this pressure as he dropped to his knees.

The entire city started trembling. Let alone the city, even Lambard's Numens that he was wearing started trembling.

Lambard stated at his Numens with a blank face. He had never experienced this strange phenomenon. It was quite similar to something that happened just a few months ago when a strange force forced everyone on their knees. However, that time, it only affected mortals.

The strongest mages could easily resist that pressure. However, this time, even the strongest of the beings couldn't remain standing. It was as if they had to be on their knees to greet the arrival of a god!

There was not a single person in this world who was still standing. Even all the Numens were trembling as if they were shaking in fear. None of them knew what actually caused it.

What no one knew was that it wasn't just the Numens that were trembling. They couldn't see the countless dark shackles surrounding their world that even gods couldn't break. Those shackles had been there for close to a thousand years, unmoving. However, even those shackles were trembling at the momentā€¦

Gabriel floated in an unknown space, feeling a cold deep within his soul. It felt uncomfortable yet it wasn't painful at all.

Even though he couldn't see anything in his surroundings. He didn't even know how vast his surroundings were, yet he could still feel as if he wasn't there alone. There was another presence.

That presence didn't make any sound or any movements at all, yet somehow it was clear to Gabriel that there definitely was someone.

"Who are you?" Gabriel asked, even though he didn't expect any answers.

"Are you sure you want to know about me?" A voice fell in Gabriel's ears, stunning him. That voice came from right behind him, as if someone was speaking right in his ears.

undefinedGabriel hastily moved away, stunned that he didn't even realize when the other person came this close to him.

"Why won't I be sure?"

He didn't know why the other person in this darkness talked as if Gabriel should've been hesitating to ask this question. He hadn't fallen asleep.

His consciousness was directly sucked into this place. It was similar to what he experienced when he was pulled into the prison of darkness by Lira. He didn't think that this time he was in a dream.

"Because once you know... you can't forget..."

The voice was calm yet composed when the other person spoke. However, something was really unique about the tone of the person. It was as if that person had existed for an eternity and seen through the things that none could've even imagined in their lifetime.

Gabriel remained silent. He didn't understand why but that voice was somewhat familiar. He didn't notice it initially, but the more he heard, the more familiar it sounded.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember to the best of his abilities.

After a few seconds, Gabriel's eyes opened in shock.

"You are... Karyk!"

In his shock, he didn't even control his voice. It was so loud that if he was outside, he could've been heard from a few blocks away easily.

He never met Karyk in reality, but he had lived as Karyk in his dreams. It was in the dreams where he heard that voice! It was his own voice in the dreams! This voice was what he heard when he lost control of his body in the dream when fighting against the Goddess of Nature!

As Gabriel stood shocked, there was a period of silence.

"Am I?" After a brief period of silence, the voice was heard again, once again coming from near Gabriel. "Or are you? Or are we?"

One after another, three questions came from the other person. Even though it sounded like the other man was just speaking randomly, but for Gabriel, those words were not that simple.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

The surroundings became even colder. Even Gabriel felt as if he was going to be frozen at that place if he stayed there for a single moment longer.

The darkness around Gabriel disappeared, changing into a slightly brighter surrounding. Finally, Gabriel wasn't standing like a blind person in the middle of nowhere. However, his new surroundings were just as surprising.

When the darkness disappeared, Gabriel found himself standing in the middle of a vast sea. As far as the eyes could see, there was only this sea and no land! What was even worse was that this sea wasn't filled with water! Instead, this entire sea was filled with nothing more than purest of blood!

"I'll ask you again. Are you ready for the consequences?" The mysterious voice was heard again. "Once you know, the future that you imagine for yourself will disappear. All you'll receive is pain and suffering..."

"What is happening? What is this scary suppression?!" Jia yelled, unable to even stand up. "How can something like this exist in this place? Who is this man?!"

Gabriel's body was floating mid-air in front of the little girl. It was clear that this suppression was coming from the seemingly ordinary young man! Unfortunately, none could even get close to him at the moment.

The Staff of Death was floating right next to him. Even Jia felt as if she was going to die if she even dared to step closer to Gabriel at this moment!

"The lock is opening." Only four words came from Alion in response.

"Lock? What lock?" Jia glared at Alion. She felt as if the man before her already knew what was happening. Despite all that, he didn't warn her in advance which was frustrating for her.

"You wanted to know who he was, right?" Alion asked, letting out a heavy sigh. "Now that the seal is opening, you'll receive your answer soon enough."

In another place, the Spectre who helped Karyk travel through the sea of souls also looked in the direction of the Ancient City of Gods.

In front of the specter, a young man was sitting on his knees. All the veins around his neck were popping up as if it was hard for him to remain still under this pressure.

"Is it finally the time that you've been preparing for a long time?" The young man, with the Mark of Light at the back of his left hand, frowned.

"If his seal really opens, then..." He raised his head, looking at the sky, as if he was somehow able to look at the shackles that were around the world clearly.

The worldly shackles were trembling and even some cracks could be seen clearly around those shackles.

"I'll ask you again. Are you ready for the consequences?" Gabriel stood in the middle of the sea of blood when he heard. Once you know, the future that you imagine for yourself will disappear. All you'll receive is pain and suffering..."

Now that he could clearly see, he turned around, looking directly at the source of the voice.

As he turned around, he finally saw the person who was standing behind him. Even though he already knew who that person was, he still couldn't contain the trace of shock in his heart.

Behind him, stood a young man who looked as if he was only in his late twenties. He had long yet beautiful silver hair that came down to his waist.

The man was wearing clothes that looked quite ordinary yet special at the same time. Even in ordinary-looking clothes, the man was just so handsome that he looked as if he was a Royal Prince of one of the greatest empires in the world!

The man was the Death Star... The Lord of Death who made everyone tremble with just his name alone! He was Karyk!

[Author Announcement 1/3/2023: I've released a book that will take part in the WSA 23 competition. The book is titled "Eternal Villain"... A story about a person destined to be the greatest villain. The main character is blessed (Or Cursed) with a book that can grant any of his wish that he writes on it, but also at an equivalent if not worse cost!

You can find it by searching the title on Webnovel directly.

Even though it has only two chapters for now, if possible, please read the book and give your valuable feedback. If you like it, don't forget to add it to your library. I am sure you won't be disappointed :)]

The man who stood before Gabriel on the vast sea of blood carried no weapon. He wore no accessory. The man was so simple that none could've guessed that he was the Lord of Death, Karyk, just based on his looks.

However, the aura around that person was what made others realize that even though the man looked like a handsome scholar, he was someone who could kill without blinking an eye.

The man had killed so many people that he was surrounded by an aura of death that was even more powerful than anything Gabriel had seen before. Just looking into the pitch black eyes of the man was enough to make others feel as if they were shoved into the battlefield of blood and death!

"I've already received plenty of pain and suffering." Gabriel answered. Even though he stood before the god of death, he wasn't scared. He didn't feel any ill intent from Karyk after all. If anything, Karyk felt more familiar to him than anything.

Gabriel didn't know if it was because he had lived the life or Karyk in his dreams, or if it was something else. All he knew was that Karyk didn't mean any harm to him. Instead, he was warning him about something.

undefinedKaryk looked just like him. If one was to ignore the difference of temperament and strength between the two, it was quite hard to find any difference between the two just based on their looks.

"What you felt before..." Karyk muttered, as if he already knew what Gabriel experienced. However, in his eyes, that much was nothing compared to the past and what was to come.

"I don't know what pain and suffering you implied, but no matter what it is, I've never been scared of pain!" Gabriel exclaimed. "Not anymore! I've seen what happens when one lives in fear... Not anymore!"

He didn't know what Karyk wanted from him, but no matter what, he didn't want to be scared anymore! He already had plenty of enemies who were much stronger than him currently! He didn't want to be his naive old self who was nice to everyone, only to be killed by others again and again!

If anything, he wanted to live like Karyk! He wanted to be someone who could make people tremble just with his name! It didn't matter if it was gods or demons, he wanted to stand above them all!

Karyk simply gazed in the eyes of Gabriel that were filled with determination.

Gabriel didn't know if it was his misconception, but for a moment, he felt as if he was looking at himself in a mirror.

"Since you've decided, then so be it. It's time to return..."

Karyk walked over the sea of blood, covering the last few steps between him and Gabriel.

"You asked me before if I was Karyk?" He asked when there was only half a meter of distance between the two of them. "You are right. At the same time you are wrong."

"You mean...?"

Karyk didn't answer. "Since you've chosen to walk this path, then so be it!"

Karyk raided his right hand, placing his finger on the forehead of Gabriel.

Back in the real world, Gabriel was still floating mid-air. His eyes were closed and it even appeared as if he was sleeping. However, his eyes opened suddenly.

"Arghhh!"

Gabriel roared, as if his entire body was breaking apart and being healed at the same time.

Gabriel's hair became longer, at the time, slowly turning into the beautiful shade of silver, just like Karyk.

His beautiful blue eyes turned darker until his pupils were pitch black. His entire body was brimming with strength that he never felt before.

Unfortunately, more than his body, his mind was in pain! It was as if there had been a seal in his mind and his soul for a long time and that deal was just unlocked!

Thousands of foreign memories suddenly flooded in his head, as soon as the seal was opened!

Jia watched Gabriel cry in pain but she couldn't even stand up!

"He's hurt! Save him!" She yelled at Alion since only Alion knew what was happening here.

"Don't worry. He isn't hurt," Alion answered. He hadn't taken his eyes off Gabriel for even a single moment ever since Gabriel started crying in pain.

"Then why is he roaring like that? What's happening to him?" Jia asked. From what she could see, it felt as if Gabriel was almost dying from pain!

"He's receiving what belonged to him in the first place," Alion answered. "It is his choice."

"You should get ready," he told the little girl.

"Ready for what?"

"To witness the return... The return of a god!"

Gabriel's mind was in turmoil. Even he hadn't expected something like this to happen! All his seals that he didn't even know about were suddenly open at the same time, letting all the foreign memories rush inside his head.

In the memories, it was as if he lived a completely different life than his current life!He saw a loving childhood where he was born as the child of one of the most powerful Royal Families in the World. He was a Prince who grew up with a complete family with his mother, father and sister.

In one of those memories, he also saw the same thing that he had seen in one of his dreams where he stood on the balcony of the Royal Palace, greeting the subjects of the Empire!

It was as if the dreams that he experienced before were nothing more than memories that somehow managed to pass through the seal!

The memories showed him an era that was long forgotten! The era which was destroyed by war and battle between humans, giving birth to the gods!

For three days and three nights, Gabriel kept roaring in pain due to the torment. As his old memories merged with his current memories, he started understanding everything.

At the same time, as his souls merged, the strength and the aura of his body also kept increasing. In just three days, his aura had reached the level of the demigods but it didn't stop there as he continued getting stronger.

After five days, the aura finally stabilized. However, by now, it was at that level which couldn't even be sensed by Alion and Jia!

Gabriel's painful roars finally stopped. His entire body was covered in sweat yet he looked even more handsome than before. His skin was flawless. Even though his hair color and his eye color was different now, but somehow that just made him look even more charming.

After five days of torment, Gabriel finally stopped. His body floated down, ultimately landing on the ground softly.

The suppressing aura that made everyone kneel for five days straight finally disappeared as well, giving the others a sigh of relief! Many still didn't know what this aura was! They didn't realize that it was a sign...a sign that it was time for the world to change and for the entire universe to trembleā€¦

"Why isn't he waking up?"

Both, Jia and Alion were looking at Gabriel who was lying in the middle of the street, as if he was deep asleep. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be in pain anymore and his breathing was stable.

"He has received too much information in the last five days. He's probably assimilating it all, now that he isn't in pain," Alion explained. "However, it won't be easy."

"What do you mean?" Jia asked, frowning. "Also what memories? You still haven't told me who he is? Why did I feel the same aura coming from him that I had felt when Karyk cast a world level spell?"

undefined"Little girl, you still haven't realized it?" Alion sighed. "You felt the same aura because those two are the same people! You asked me why Gabriel could use Karyk's Origin Staff? That's because they're one and the same."

Alion picked Gabriel up in his arms, who was still sleeping. He didn't move deeper inside the city and instead, started walking back where he came from, as if he didn't want to be in this place when Gabriel was at his weakest.

"Silver hair... Dark eyes... Karyk? He's Karyk?!" Jia exclaimed in shock, chasing after Alion.

Alion didn't answer. His silence was an answer in itself for Jia. She had always been wondering why Alion was so caring toward a young boy, but she finally understood the truth.

However, even now she found it hard to believe. She had always believed that Karyk had died around a thousand years ago!

Alion brought Gabriel outside the Abandoned City of Gods, only stopping when they reached the nearest forest.

He placed Gabriel on the soft grass, under a tree before casting a protective barrier that not only protected them but also hid their aura completely from anyone who could've come there to check.

For close to half an hour, Jia sat next to Gabriel in silence, just looking at him. All her thoughts were chaotic.

"Even if Karyk was reborn through some special means, he should've lost all his previous strength. After rebirth, one loses all their previous strength since their souls become impure, unsuitable to carry their divine strength." After a long time, she finally expressed her thoughts.

"If he was reborn, he should've become an ordinary mortal who could never use a single shred of magic in his entire lifetime. So how?" she asked. "Moreover, if he was reborn, the others who tried to kill him should've sensed it as well. So what actually happened in the past?"

"How about you try asking him when he wakes up?" Alion shrugged, not having even the slightest interest in answering the little girl.

"I'm not crazy enough to ask the Death Star." Even though Jia idolized Karyk, but it didn't mean she wasn't scared of him. "How about a deal? If you tell me everything, I'll forgive you for giving me that stupid name? I won't kill you in the future!"

"I can't tell you." Despite what Jia tried, she only received a firm rejection. "What I do know is that it is the most dangerous for him."

"His soul is recovering its old strength that had been sealed for a long time. And with the sudden influx of his memories, it became even more dangerous. One single mistake and he'll either become a bloodthirsty demon, losing his consciousness forever, or he'll end up going crazy, not knowing what's reality and what's a dream anymore..."

Jia gulped down heavily. She didn't want to see what a bloodthirsty Karyk looked like. With the kind of strength this guy possessed, he could become a nightmare if he lost his sanity.

"What are the chances of his failure?" She asked with slight hesitation as she started standing up, as if she was about to escape.

"Are you trying to sneak away due to fear?" Alion couldn't help but find the little girl's reaction amusing. "I didn't know you were such a coward."

"If it was anyone else, I would've happily faced them even if there was no chance of victory. However, when it comes to Karyk... I heard that if one is killed by him, their souls get trapped for an eternity. That's worse than death. So if there's a chance that he'll kill me, I would rather escape."

Alion smirked. "If he really goes crazy, do you think there will be a place where you'd be able to hide?"

The little girl had been chasing her for a long time, making his life much harder. Now that she had an opportunity to mess with her, he took a total advantage of the situation.

Jia stood in her place, scratching the back of her head. For the first time, she was regretting coming to this place!

She also couldn't believe that the first guy she liked turned out to be the Death Star. She didn't know what his attitude was going to be after he woke up, but she really hoped that he could succeed.

"If he fails, we'll die no matter how far we run. So why waste the effort? Just sit here silently and wait for his success," Alion told the little girl.

Unlike the little girl, he appeared more relaxed, eating fruits that he picked from the nearby trees.

"How could you be so relaxed? Does it mean the chance of him succeeding are high?" The little girl asked. She didn't believe that Alion was brave enough to face death head on, if he didn't believe that Gabriel could succeed.

" He has a fifty percent chance of success. Everything after that depends on his own luck." Alion appeared somewhat lazy, as if he didn't care about the outcome. However, Jia didn't know that even he was scared deep inside. He just wasn't showing it on his face.

If anything, he was the most against this plan of Karyk when he was told about it since he knew how dangerous this was. One of the reasons he was avoiding this was also because he didn't want to face this situation without being mentally prepared for the failure.

He looked up, finding a blank faced Jia who was somewhat conflicted.

"How about it? If you stay behind and calm down, I'll give you a hint about one of the questions that's been bugging you," Alion said.

"What question?" Jia frowned. She had thousands of questions in her mind after all.

"You asked why his soul didn't become impure?" Alion responded. "The answer is much simpler than you expect. In fact, the answer has been before your eyes all this time."

"Right before my eyes?" Jia looked around, noticing the Ancestral Staff of Death. "Does it have something to do with that?"

"No." Alion shook his head. "As I said, the answer was right before your eyes. It just depends on whether you are capable enough to find the answer or not."

"Right before my eyes? Does it have something to do with you?" She asked. However, she herself wasn't convinced with her answer. "I don't think you're capable enough. Then what else could there be?"

"Argh, I'm getting a headache! Just tell me what it is!"

Alion didn't speak. He simply raised his head, pointing toward the sky.

undefinedJia also looked above. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "You mean... The World Tier Spell?!"

Alion nodded. "That's right. He took the help of the World Tier Spell. For most people, the spell appeared as if it was a barrier that Karyk cast to protect this world and the people. However, it was more than just that."

"Only Karyk could succeed through those methods as well, since none of the gods have control over the dead and the souls which was a must for it to succeed," he further explained.

"H-how did he do it?" Jia asked with eyes full of fascination. Even though no one other than Karyk was able to use this method, she was still extremely eager to know how it worked in the first place.

Unfortunately, it was as if Alion was taunting her. After bringing her curiosity to its peak with some hints, he closed his eyes with a satisfied expression on his face.

For five days straight, none of the people could move at all! They were all forced to be on their knees due to the suppressing aura that covered the entire world, as if it was to welcome the arrival of the gods.

However, to everyone's surprise, during those five days, they didn't feel hungry or thirsty either. Whether it be old, or young... They all felt as if during the five days, under the suppression not only did their physique become stronger, but also their soul and body was being nourished constantly.

It was as if there was some force that was preventing them from dying during the five days where they couldn't move. What was even weirder was that in this world, there was not a single day where not a single person had died.

However, during those five days, there was not a single death! No one knew why that was the case, but it was quite fortunate for Gabriel.

Since there were no deaths, the balance between life and death was maintained for the five days where Gabriel was recovering all his memories and strength.

It was unclear if it was intentional or unintentional, but it really helped Gabriel. As everyone was on their knees, there were no fights. There were no battles with the risk of people dying. There were no accidents either!

It was only after five days when the aura disappeared and everyone was finally able to move. Most people were grateful that they were finally free of the suppression and could ultimately move.

The weak went back to their ordinary lives while wondering what could've caused the strange phenomenon while the strong tried to find the cause.

Unfortunately, even the Holy Lords couldn't find the reason behind the strange phenomenon, unable to even locate the aura that the aura came from.

Unfortunately, this aura wasn't limited to the world. Traces of it could be felt far and wide, surpassing the limits of this world as well, even reaching the people that it shouldn't have.

It was early morning. The sun rose high in the sky yet its direct sunlight couldn't touch Gabriel who had been sleeping peacefully under the shade.

Two more days had passed since Gabriel was brought here and he hadn't woken up yet.

Throughout the two days, Alion and Jia hadn't slept for even a single second, keeping an eye on Gabriel, especially Jia who wanted to be ready to escape as soon as she saw something wrong with Gabriel.

In the forest, chirping of birds could be heard every morning. However, ever since Gabriel was brought here, it was complete silence.

"Could it be that he'll sleep for years?" Jia asked.

Alion opened his lips to respond. However, before he could even speak, he noticed Gabriel's eyelids moving slightly, as if he was finally waking up.

He stood up and prepared for whatever the outcome. His fists were tightly clenched behind his back as he stared at Gabriel, wondering if he succeeded or failed.

Noticing the strange reaction of Alion, Jia also gazed back at Gabriel. However, just as she looked back, she saw Gabriel's eyes open.

Her heart skipped a beat as she subconsciously stepped back. She didn't even dare to look into Gabriel's eyes.

Gabriel sat up straight. Even now, he looked nothing different than a mortal with no unique aura around him. His figure was athletic yet he looked frail and weak when it came to physique.

Gabriel first looked at Alion before glancing at Jia.

"Looks like your crazy plan really succeeded."

Alion sighed heavily in relief, patting his chest. Even though he wasn't showing, his heart was so scared that he wanted to escape faster than Jia if something was wrong. Fortunately, Gabriel hadn't gone crazy after awakening and remembering his past.

"Since you're still alive, that seems to be the case." Gabriel stood up. He took off the two gloves, sending them back in his spatial storage.

Previously, Gabriel used to talk to Alion with great respect, as if Alion was his senior. However, his tone now was slightly different, as if he was talking to a junior.

His voice was filled with authority like he was the only monarch in this world.

The attire that Gabriel previously treated like great treasure burned around Gabriel's body, turning into dust as a new set of clothes appeared around him, as if Gabriel created them out of thin air.

What was even more surprising was that the new set of clothes that he had created was a Numen that was even higher level than Jia's sword!

Gabriel's attire was completely black now which created a beautiful contrast with his long silver hair. His robe looked like it was made of real black flames of death!

The robe and the flames looked alive, as if whoever dared to even touch his robe was going to burn to their death, even if it was a Demigod! It was a God Level Artefact that had a spirit of its own!

"Should I call you Gabriel now, or Karyk?" Alion asked. He didn't even notice that there was a smile of relief on his face. After Karyk died, he had waited for this moment all his life. And now that the moment was here, it was as if a heavy stone was removed from his chest!

Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, stretching his head. "You can call me anything. It's just a name."

He reached out his other hand toward his Ancestral Staff that was lying on the ground nearby.

The Ancestral Staff flew straight to him, directly entering his body. Even the Book of Necromancy that had always been in the form of a ring on his finger disappeared, entering his body.

He turned to the little girl next to him. In his first life, he had no interaction with the little girl. In fact, he hadn't even heard about her.

undefined"You are called Jia?" he asked, looking at the little girl next to him.

The little girl who was brave ever since she came to this world found herself packing words for the first time.

"Y-yes, Lord Death Star!" the little girl went down on one knee, lowering her gaze.

Gabriel couldn't help but rub his forehead. He couldn't help but find this name to be slightly frustrating. "It's better if you don't call me by that name anymore."

The little girl frowned, wondering why Gabriel didn't like the name. Compared to her own name, this name was a thousand times better in her eyes.

"This name was given to him by her," Alion chimed in. "The person who was the first to work with the outsiders that led to this entire thing."

Gabriel took his gloves off. He didn't care about hiding his marks anymore.

After taking off his gloves, he glanced at the back of his left hand. "I also notice that I've received the blessing of her Element as well.."

"I don't know. I couldn't interfere too much. Still, I didn't expect her to do this," Alion responded.

Gabriel gazed at the clear sky above. "The Goddess of Light..."

He couldn't help but think of the past.

[Almost a thousand years ago...]

Karyk stood in the middle of the air. He had been fighting for many days straight. Not only did he kill thousands of beings much stronger than him in the battle but two entire continents were also destroyed in their battle.

Spatial cracks could be seen all around the world, as if the natural boundary of the world was also being destroyed in the battle of gods that was beyond the limit of this world.

Unfortunately, he was already injured before this battle and his injuries only kept increasing with time, making him weaker and weaker with each passing second.

Without the help of his army, he couldn't even get any auxiliary help to give him a moment to breathe.

His entire body was covered in blood. Some bleeding cuts could be seen all around his body, including on his cheeks.

No matter how many people he killed this time, more and more enemies kept coming up, as if killing him was their entire life's mission.

"We will see how long you survive!" A powerful voice echoed in the surrounding, coming from beyond the space and time barrier, as if it came from another world.

The voice clearly belonged to a person much stronger than anyone who was present here. Unfortunately, that person couldn't enter this world thanks to Karyk's shackles around the world.

Even with the help of insiders, only a small opening could be made in the barrier which allowed outsiders to enter. However, there was a limit to the strength of the person who could enter even after the flaw, which prevented beings much stronger from entering this place.

Unfortunately, even with all that, the ones who managed to enter were thousands of God-Level beings.

Karyk had been killing them for days, yet he was still surrounded by close to a thousand people, as if he hadn't made the slightest dent in their numbers.

"Don't worry! I'll show you how long I can survive!" Karyk roared, looking at the sky. "However, you should also think about how long you can survive yourself! I'll definitely come to greet you soon!"

Karyk clenched his fist firmly, ready for another barrage of attacks. No matter how much spiritual power he had, but in his injured condition, he was already getting exhausted.

What was worse was that all the intruders had sealed the Spiritual Strength in the air, preventing Karyk from recovering his strength at all!

Karyk didn't know if he could get through this battle or not. However, he did seem a bit concerned.

Throughout the battles, none had noticed that Karyk hadn't been focusing on too much defense in this battle! The only place he was protecting was his pocket.

There was a small stone fragment in his pockets. He pulled out the stone fragment from his pocket, holding it firmly in his hands.

Even though the space around them was sealed, making it impossible to teleport, Karyk still used all he had to open a small Spatial Portal, the size of a fist.

The portal appeared behind him. Fortunately, none noticed a portal the size of a small fist.

Karyk closed his eyes for a short moment, letting out a deep breath before tossing the small stone inside that portal.

As soon as the stone entered the portal, it closed. No one knew that Karyk sent the stone back to his Palace, along with a message for Alion. It was as if Karyk already expected that the chances of him leaving this place alive were close to none.

"Even if I'm weak, you'd all die before me!"

Now that he sent away the burden that was on his shoulders, he could finally let go. Even if he was to die, he wanted to have everyone else in this place accompany him to death with him!

"Don't give him a chance! Kill!" The leader of the group shouted, taking the lead and attacking first.

The god level attack destroyed the space around it as it shot straight to Karyk at the speed of lightning.

Karyk breathed calmly. It was as if he wasn't afraid of death. Even at this moment, his eyes were calm and serene. It was as if some part of him was waiting for his death... A death that kept avoiding him all this time.

He raised his right hand. If Karyk's aura was that of a person who could die at any moment, it suddenly transformed into a much stronger aura, full of vitality!

Only the people who lived in this world knew what that aura implied! It was the aura of a world level spell being cast!

Just as Karyk's aura transformed. He knew he wasn't in any condition to cast a spell with this strength in his current condition. It was a spell on the same league as the [Worldly Shackles] that could prevent even the strongest of outsiders from entering this world after all!

He had just started casting a spell but something strange happened. A beautiful white barrier appeared between him and the attack that was coming straight for him.

Even though the barrier shattered after the collision with the attack, it did successfully manage to stop the attack!

Karyk felt a familiar presence around him as a woman appeared next to him in a beautiful white gown.

"It's you..." Karyk muttered, stopping the spell at the last moment. The Goddess of Light stood before him, as if she was here to help him.

undefined"Who else would it be? It's all happening because of me. If I hadn't made you seal your army, none of this would've happened in the first place!" the Goddess of Light said, shaking her head lightly. "I can't believe that just when I went for my seclusion training, so much has happened in this world!"

"As soon as I found out that the other gods colluded against you, I came here to help you! Those idiots... No matter how scared they are of you, how can they work with the outsiders against their own people!" The woman genuinely appeared angry and frustrated as if she really wanted to slap them all for their stupidity.

"Anyway, I don't think we can fight all of them currently. Your current condition is barely manageable! I'm surprised you're still alive in this condition after all! If it was anyone else, they would've long died!" The young lady exclaimed. "We should get out of here as soon as we can! We can always have a chance of revenge as long as we are alive!"

"We can't leave." Karyk raised his finger. He showed the Goddess of Nature by trying to cast a spatial portal, only for it to collapse in itself. "The space here is sealed. People can only come here and not leave. If that wasn't the case, I would've done much more."

"Argh, this is going to be hard with just the two of us!" The Goddess of Light frowned. With so many enemies, even she wasn't confident. She wasn't as good as Karyk at fighting after all.

It was just the two of them against a thousand people after all.

"With the way things are, we can't keep going. We'll both die here. I have a plan!" The young lady stated. "Can you still cast a barrier that can stop their attacks for just a minute?!"

Even in his current condition, Karyk felt that it was possible to hold them all back for a short time. However, he didn't understand why the Goddess of Light wanted that.

"What is your plan?!"

"Of course it's to heal you!" The young woman exclaimed. "Currently, our biggest problem is that I don't have much fighting prowess while you are injured. So the first thing we need to do is heal you!"

"After you are healed, you should be able to fight back! We might even turn the situation around!" She further stated.

"Can you even heal me in this condition?" Karyk asked. Even though he knew that the Element of Light was the element that had the ability to heal, his wounds were really serious after all. Even a god would've had a hard time healing him.

"I should be able to, if I use my vitality!" The Goddess of Light replied. " I'll only use some of my strength as a backlash, but at least we'll get out of this problem alive! If not, we'll both end up dead here. I don't know about you, but I surely don't want to die!"

Karyk didn't have much time to think about the suggestion. He could see that her plan did make sense. As long as he could recover, he could fight back for longer.

"Alright! I'll hold them back!" Karyk raised his right hand, changing the World Tier Spell to a barrier spell.

He cast his strongest spells all around him, covering him and the Goddess of Light inside a spherical barrier that covered them from all sides.

The Goddess of Light didn't delay any further either. She placed her hand on Karyk's back and started casting a healing spell.

Karyk felt a soothing energy entering his body, nourishing his body and slowly healing his wounds.

At the same time, constant attacks kept landing on his barrier. The barrier trembled after each attack. Only thirty seconds passed before the barrier started showing cracks all around.

Karyk cast another barrier spell to reinforce his barrier. At the speed he was healing, even though he didn't believe that he could be healed completely but he felt that at least thirty percent of his wounds could've been healed. He could at least help the Goddess of Light escape after that.

The cracks on the barrier recovered as soon as Karyk cast a second spell.

Karyk focused on maintaining the barrier as he spoke, "I should be able to maintain the barrier for half a minute. After that, I'll help you get ou-"

Karyk froze in the middle of his sentence. His face turned pale as he suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood. His face was filled with disbelief as he lowered his head.

He noticed a sharp sword coming out of his chest, passing straight through his heart. The sword was covered in his blood. Not only was the sword a god tier weapon that could kill even gods, but it was also poisoned to momentarily paralyze the person so they couldn't fight back even as they died.

"You..." Even under the effect of the poison, Karyk forced his body to move, holding the sharp blade of the sword firmly. Even his hands bled as he held the sword yet he didn't care.

"Argh!" Just as he had held the sword to break it, the sword was pulled out by the person who stabbed him.

Karyk's body felt so weak. He was having a hard time even remaining standing. He couldn't even turn around to see who stabbed him, but he already knew. There was only one person behind him after all.

"Why?" he asked as blood kept coming out from his chest. If it was anyone else here, they would've already died by now but Karyk was still standing.

Unfortunately, as if maintaining even the last bit of dignity wasn't acceptable, the Goddess of Light swung her sword, making a heavy cut in the back of Karyk's legs before kicking the back of his knees, making him finally fall to his knees.

"The mighty Death Star... Lying on his knees before me. What a sight to behold..." The laughter of the Goddess of Light echoed in the surroundings.

As she spoke, her sword once again moved, passing through his chest again as if the woman didn't even want to give him a chance of accidentally surviving.

[Back in the present time]

"The biggest mistake I made in my life was trusting her."

Gabriel gently touched his chest, as if he could still remember the stab wound that killed him. The sword not only hurt his physical body but also his soul.

"Did she also attack you that day?"

Even though Alion knew how Karyk was reborn, however, even he didn't know just how the battle between Karyk and the other side ended that day. To hear Gabriel say such a thing, he felt it had a lot to do with the Goddess of Light.

undefined"She's the person who killed me," Gabriel replied. "She came just as I was about to cast a World Level Spell. I thought she was there to help me, but she was just there to stop me from casting that spell and hurting her interests..."

"That wasn't the only time she lied to me either." Gabriel's fists tightened the more he thought about it.

Through Alion and Gabriel's conversation, even Jia found out some inexplicable secrets that she had never heard. "The Goddess of Light? How could it be? Wasn't she your friend? I heard only she didn't participate in the weakening of this world's barrier from inside."

"She didn't participate in the weakening of the barrier?" Gabriel asked in return. "If you really think that, then you're quite naive. Let alone working with them, she was the one who planned this entire thing!"

Gabriel's voice was filled with anger. Fortunately, he could still control his emotions and didn't let even the slightest of his killing intent leak.

[Thousand years ago]

Karyk was on his knees. A sword passed through his chest once more. His legs were already bleeding. He was already injured before the battle, but thanks to a direct attack at his heart in such close proximity, he couldn't even move anymore.

A woman stood before him, looking down. "What happened to the so-called God of Death? You don't look so good, do you?"

Karyk glared at the Goddess of Light. The woman had such vicious expressions on her face that she never revealed in the past.

In the past, she had always pretended to be nice, yet her current expressions made her look much different. It was as if her old self was just an act and she was finally revealing her true self.

"Let me guess what you're thinking." The woman placed her fingers under Karyk's chin, raising his head slightly. "You want to kill me at any cost. Am I right? Unfortunately, the Sword that I used made you unable to even move."

"You must also be wondering why I have a sword like that." An amused smirk spread across the face of the Goddess of Light.

She brought her face closer to Karyk's ears and gently whispered, "It's the reward from them that I received for creating that small opening in the barrier to help them enter. However, this isn't the only reward. I really should thank you, my dear old friend."

As she finished speaking, her lips touched Karyk's cheeks as she gave him a light kiss. "It's all because of you that I have an opportunity to become even stronger. I really should thank you!"

"You planned it... from the start..."

Karyk wanted to crush the neck of the woman before him. Unfortunately, the Goddess of Light was right. He couldn't even move a single finger. Even speaking was proving to be hard. What was worse was that he felt that his spiritual strength was also sealed.

"Oh? It looks like you guessed some things. Anyhow, since you're about to die, I'll let you have all your answers so that your soul can rest in peace after you die!" The young woman stood straight, stepping back.

She raised her right hand, showing a red stone. The stone was the same as the Stone of Destiny that Karyk had received from her!

The Goddess of Light played with the red stone in her hand, as if it was just a small toy for her.

"You're right. Everything I did was for this moment. I started planning it as soon as I found two Stones of Destiny. In the place I found these stones, I also found out about the existence of the other world. Unfortunately, with my strength, it was impossible to go there even if I struggled for a thousand years."

"So you used me," Karyk finished the women's line of thought. He couldn't help but feel like laughing at his own foolishness. Because he wanted to save his sister at any cost, he didn't even think about the possibility that it was all part of such an elaborate scheme!

"Hey, don't be so harsh with your words." The Goddess of Light chuckled. "What if others misunderstand your words?"

"It's better to say that I borrowed your strength," she further added. "I needed to find a way to enter the other world. Unfortunately, I wasn't strong like you. I couldn't pass through chaotic space and time to get there. So I had to find other ways and what better way to enter that place than to be invited by them personally?'

"So that's why you gave me the Stone of Destiny... You knew I would have to go to that place to gain enough spirit energy for my sister's recovery!"

Even though Karyk already guessed this much, However, to hear it directly, he felt even more like a fool!

"That's right. I wanted to find a way to give you the stone so you could go there and create a mess! I know your abilities the best after all," the Goddess of Light laughed. "However, who would've thought that you would give me an even better opportunity!"

"As I was about to come to you with the information of the stone to put my plan in motion, I heard the news that you sealed the Goddess of Nature. At that time, I knew I could use that to my advantage!"

"You used it as an excuse to make me believe that the other gods were scared and then suggested that I seal my army so I could make a deal for the stone with them!" Karyk exclaimed.

As time passed, his body condition only deteriorated. Even for the Goddess of Light, it was shocking that he still wasn't dead. However, she believed it was just a matter of time.

She didn't realize that while Karyk was receiving his answers, he was also doing another thing simultaneously... A thing that was never done or even attempted before!

"That's right." The Goddess of Light agreed. "The stone was with me already at that time. I just borrowed their name to make myself look like a good person who was just there with the information. I was there to 'help' you after all!"

"I had to make you seal your army to make you even weaker so there couldn't be any variables in my future plans!"

"Oh, and one more thing." The cold woman spoke further. "I was also the one who sent them information about you being in this world. How else do you think they found you so fast after you escaped from that place?"

"I thought that just with your information, I could trade with them for access to their World. Who would've thought that you would make it even better for me by sealing the world! Even though it surprised me, it was perfect! You did even better than I expected!"

"I got so many benefits thanks to that!" The woman felt so elated the more she thought about how Karyk's actions went above and beyond her plans in helping her!

"The harder you made it for those people to get to you, the better it became for my trade with them! They had no choice but to ask for my help after all!"

"I was just hoping for access to their World. But thanks to your extra help, I not only received an opportunity to go there, but also a god tier Sword that directly attacks the soul of a person along with a high position in that place!"

undefined"Since you did so much for me, how could I let you die without a nice reward."

The woman came closer to Karyk again, this time, directly placing her lips on Karyk's bleeding lips.

"Treat this as a reward for you." She licked her lips that were also covered in Karyk's blood, as if the blood was tasty for her. It was the taste of her success! It was the first time a God was going to die here and it was all at her hands!

Moreover, once she killed the biggest enemy of the other world, she could only get more influence in the future!

She pulled out his bloody sword again. This time, she placed the tip of her sword on Karyk's forehead. "Now that you know everything, you can die in peace. I hope you don't hold any grudges against me. It was all business after all..."

Thrust~

Her sword moved forward, passing through Karyk's skull directly.

Karyk didn't make a single noise even as he was killed. It was as if he didn't want to give her any satisfaction anymore!

After a few seconds when the Goddess of Light pulled out her Sword, Karyk's body dropped to the ground, lifeless.

She stretched her arms, lazily yawning. "Finally done! Even though it took a long time, I finally succeeded! Now I can start a new chapter of my life!"

Her eyes looked at the sky, as if longing for the other World where she could have even more opportunities for growth. Even the weakest Royal Guards in the other world were God-Tier after all. As for Demigod-Tier beings, they could be found everywhere!

That world was filled with over a hundred times purer magical energy after all! It was a dream for people like her to go there!

And finally her dream was about to become a reality!

"She really... So it was all because of her that we went through so much?!" Alion clenched his teeth, trying to control his anger! He wasted close to a thousand years of his life, all because of that woman and he didn't even know about it!

He didn't know how the battle ended after all! He only knew that Karyk died in that battle! He had always assumed that Karyk died at the hands of the people from the other world!

"So she planned everything! She guessed everything about your future actions in advance and planned all this! Amazing! What incredible planning skills!" Jia muttered, stunned.

She couldn't even plan for the next twenty four hours, let alone make a plan involving the strongest god of this world and the mighty beings of the other world!

There were so many variables! If a single thing had gone wrong, or if someone had found out about what she planned, then she would've been dead a thousand times over! Just her conviction alone made Jia stunned. Everything went according to her plan! Even the strongest fell for her schemes!

Hearing Jia's praises for the woman that he hated the most now, Alion couldn't help but glare at her. "How about you go work with her instead since you like her so much?!"

Jia could only scratch the back of her head, blankly. She had completely forgotten that this wasn't the right time to praise that woman.

Alion rolled his eyes and didn't pay more attention to her. Instead, he turned back to Karyk. "What I don't understand is why she didn't do everything to kill you this time? Why did she share a fragment of Element of Light with you? Is this another of her schemes?"

Gabriel didn't know how to respond himself. Even he didn't understand what the woman was planning for the time being. Not only did that woman not try to kill him, but she also made him stronger.

"Not just her, you also received a Fragment of Darkness," Alion further stated.

"You're wrong. I didn't receive the Fragment of Element of Darkness," Gabriel clarified. "It's much more accurate to say that I snatched it accidentally when my soul was under attack. It's only the Element of Light that makes me wonder."

"Could it be... That she wants to use you like before? She wants to make you stronger so you can once again become a public enemy and help her rise even higher?" Jia exclaimed, throwing another possibility.

"She doesn't need to give me the Element of Light to make me a public enemy," Gabriel responded. "Did you forget who I am? Just my identity alone is enough to make me the public enemy."

Gabriel couldn't see directly into the other world from where he was currently standing. However, he still remembered the general direction.

He gazed at the clear sky, thinking back to the time he had left this world for the first time. He didn't expect that so many things would've happened after he returned.

"I don't know what she is planning. I don't care either. All I know is that this time, I'll make her life worse than a living hell!"

In an unknown place, that was filled with many times pure magical energy, there stood a woman, covered in a beautiful white gown.

The woman stood on the balcony, looking out at the sky that was currently covered in dark clouds.

A dark robed woman appeared behind the Goddess of Light out of thin air. "Lady Theia... Your request to meet the Lord has been approved. Please follow me."

Theia... Who was worshiped like a god once upon a time was standing in the middle of a majestic looking hall, with her head down.

Not too far from her, there was a majestic throne. Just the aura of that throne itself was stronger than Theia's aura, let alone the aura of the person who sat on that throne.

It was said that many Divine Beasts in the world were killed, just to get satisfactory materials to make the throne that could satisfy the person who was supposed to sit on it!

The throne's aura was like a violent torrent of energy. It was impossible for even Theia to look in the direction of the throne, without hurting her own soul!

undefinedShe kept her head down, as if waiting for the man on the throne to speak something.

The Throne's violent aura could kill even gods who got close to it. However, there was a person on the throne who appeared completely unaffected by that torrential aura. It was as if his strength had far surpassed that level.

Because of the aura of the throne, no one could look at the man. They could only hear his voice. Unfortunately, the man was completely silent now, as if he was lost in some thought.

The entire hall was silent as no one dared to disturb the man on the throne.

The man had his eyes closed. At times, it even looked as if he was sleeping. However, there was currently a frown on his face.

Theia stood silently for close to half an hour yet she didn't complain. Fortunately, the man on the throne didn't make her wait for long. He opened his eyes after half an hour, revealing his deep blue eyes.

Just the eyes of the man alone made him appear as if there was not a single thing that the man hadn't seen, throughout his long life. It was as if there was nothing in the world which could disturb the calmness in his eyes.

"What brought you here?"

The man's calm and serene voice echoed in the hall.

Even though the man didn't use any of his strength, just his calm voice alone was strong enough to make others' hearts tremble, as if they were listening to a person who could kill them without even moving a single finger.

Theia took a deep breath, not revealing her real thoughts on her. She placed her hands on her clothes.

Slid~

Her beautiful white gown fell on the ground, revealing her completely bare skin to the man in the front.

Theia had flawless skin and a perfect figure with just the right amount of curves. She could've made any man go crazy for her in an instant.

However, the man on the throne didn't seem to care about that in the least. What he was more interested in were the white spirit lines that could be seen all around the young woman's body.

The spirit lines around her body were similar to the Spirit Lines of Light that created the tattoo on the back of her left hand. At times, it even looked as if it was the Mark of Light that was somehow spreading all around her body.

"I should be able to enter that place now." Theia spoke after a brief pause. "I want permission to enter."

The man snapped his fingers. Theia's clothes appeared around her body once again, covering her.

"It's only been a thousand years and you're already halfway there. It looks like you haven't been slacking," the man spoke. "Unfortunately, it still isn't enough. You can go back."

"But I..."

Theia tried speaking. However, before she could even speak, a strange wave of energy covered her entirely. Before she knew it, the strange force pushed her down.

Thud~

Theia was forced to her knees right there, unable to even resist in the slightest! Even her knees started bleeding because of the force she fell with.

Her body was already as strong as a high grade treasure. However, there was not a single crack in the floor due to her fall. Instead, it was Theia who was hurt.

"Did you say something?" The man's lazy voice fell in Theia's ears.

Theia clenched her teeth, but quickly controlled herself. "No. I'll follow your instructions."

"Good."

The pressure around Theia disappeared. She was finally free to move.

"You can leave now."

Theia stood up, following the man's commands. She didn't show any discontent on her face and left the hall. It was only after leaving the hall that she cast a healing spell on her knees!

Throughout the hallway, she was completely silent. It was only after she reached her own Palace that her expressions turned vicious.

She couldn't control her anger anymore and punched the wall with all her strength to let out some of her anger.

The entire palace trembled due to the pressure of her fist. However, her palace was also made from similar materials. The wall didn't break.

"For a thousand years, I did everything he asked, all for one opportunity to become a True God, unbound by the laws of elements! But even after all that, that bastard still doesn't give me an opportunity!"

She was so angry that she would've already killed that man if she had that ability. Unfortunately, she knew what she was capable of!

She was nowhere close to that person in strength. Even if she tried her best with everything she had, she still couldn't even leave a single scratch on that person! She could only end up dead which she wasn't ready for!

Back in the palace, the man was still sitting on his Divine Throne. However, this time, his eyes weren't closed.

"You think I don't know your ambitions, little girl?" he muttered as if talking to himself. "Unfortunately, you're still too young to go against me."

He closed his eyes again. The majestic hall once again returned to silence...

Gabriel entered the Abandoned City of Gods, once again. This time, he wasn't walking in the back like before. Instead, he was walking in the lead.

Jia walked behind him. However, somehow, she kept looking at Gabriel's hands, often. It was as if she still couldn't forget Gabriel holding her hand in the past.

For some reason, Gabriel appeared more distant now.

"Lord Karyk... M-may I ask how you were even to be reborn?" After a long time, the little girl finally asked the question, gathering all her courage. "If it's a secret, you don't have to tell me. I am just curious."

She was still somewhat scared which was clear from her voice.

Gabriel didn't even bother to stop, let alone look back. "Even if I told you, you won't be able to replicate it. That method can only work for someone with the Element of Death."

After speaking, he stopped. However, there was another sentence that he only thought but didn't speak. 'Even I could only do it once in my life.'

He didn't want others to know that he couldn't do the same thing anymore. It was his biggest secret.

The little girl didn't ask anymore. Even though Gabriel didn't speak directly, from his words, it was clear that he wasn't going to tell her anything.

She only had Alion's words to rely on. Even though she doesn't know how that happened, she knew it had something to do with the worldly shackles that Karyk cast in the past!

undefined"Are we really going to the Realm between life and death?" She asked after some time. "From what I heard, last time, even you barely-"

The little girl closed her mouth abruptly, worried that she must insult Gabriel. The man barely survived last time, yet now he was going there again. She was somewhat worried about all their safety.

"If you're worried, you can go back. That place is more dangerous that you can ever imagine," Gabriel responded, not feeling insulted in the least.

He knew that the little girl wasn't wrong. Even he could still remember the last time he went there. That place was much different than anything he saw before. He had almost died there. Even he was surprised that he managed to come out of that place alive, and that too, successfully!

However, even he didn't know if he could recreate that miraculous feat. If possible, he didn't want to go there anytime soon.

Unfortunately, from his memories in this life, he felt somewhat close to Cylix and Novius. They were like his brothers and he couldn't leave them behind in a situation like this.

Moreover, there was another reason for him going back, which he didn't tell anyone yet.

"Can I ask one more question?" Jia fastened her pace, walking right next to Gabriel.

She was so close to him, that her hands kept brushing against Gabriel's hands. It was unclear if it was intentional from her or not.

"Ask." Gabriel was still in the outer boundary of the giant City so the dangers in this place were limited. He could easily take care of the traps that were placed along the way as if it was child's play for him.

"It's about the realm between life and death," Jia spoke. "I've never heard about that place. However, from what I understand after hearing about it from both of you, it feels like a place that is closely related to death and spirits."

"That's not wrong." Gabriel nodded.

"Then why are you in danger in that place? Aren't you the God of Death, who has absolute control over spirits and Death?" Jia asked. In her eyes, Karyk used to be absolute authority over life and death after all. So it was all somewhat strange for her.

"You can even create Undeads and use spirits to fight. So why is that place dangerous for you?" she further asked. "Shouldn't you be able to control that place like the back of your hand!"

"Who said I have absolute control over death?" Karyk couldn't help but shake his head lightly.

In his life, he heard many people say that the gods had absolute control over their elements. However, only the so-called gods of this world knew that the reality was somewhat different.

"You don't?!" The little girl exclaimed. "Then how...?"

"You already know how the era of gods began, don't you?" Gabriel asked as he finally glanced at the little girl next to him.

"I heard it was because the world was almost destroyed. At that time, because there were so many deaths at the same time, the barrier of the natural laws shattered, allowing you to gain the Element of Death, making you the first god of this world. Am I right?" The little girl asked, raising her head as if she was looking at Gabriel eagerly for him to praise her for her knowledge and right answer.

"That's right. I gained control of Death," Gabriel said, nodding. "However, that doesn't make me a God."

Jia still didn't understand. In fact, she appeared even more confused now.

Gabriel further clarified. "I'll make it simple so you can understand. Imagine an element is like a world."

He raised his head. Using his Spirit Energy, he created the illusion of a small world that was floating above his hand.

"Take this world as the complete Chaotic Element of Death that controls and maintains the life and death of all the beings in the universe, including the lives of the Gods."

The little girl nodded. She did as Gabriel asked.

A small portion of the world that he created started shining. "Now, this small shining portion... Imagine this place is a small Kingdom in this world."

The little girl didn't speak, worried that she would disturb Gabriel in his explanation. She didn't want to miss this opportunity as she believed that today, she was finding out about the secrets of this universe that not many people knew!

"This small Kingdom... When we gained our abilities when the Era of Gods started, what we gained was control over this small Kingdom," Gabriel said. "However, that doesn't mean we became the rulers of this world.."

"That's why, even though we're called the Gods of this world, there are still some things about our elements that are beyond our control. We're all still bound by the laws of our elements, unable to break those laws."

After Gabriel finished speaking, he clenched his fist, making the illusion of the world disappear. However, he still didn't stop.

Gabriel stopped walking and snapped his fingers. His robe and his shirt disappeared as well, revealing his bare chest.

The little girl was stunned to see Gabriel remove his clothes so suddenly. Her face turned slightly red and even she didn't understand why. Gabriel's body was like a work of art. He was strong and had plenty of muscles. However, what really attracted people's attention were the strange black marks all over his body.

The black lines that created those marks appeared to be alive and pulsating with en

ergy that was beyond the understanding of this world.

Jia had already seen those marks when Gabriel's clothes were destroyed before. However, she still didn't know what those lines were. They were similar to the marks of elements of gods.

"What are these marks?" She asked without even realizing.

The strange black patterns could be seen covering Gabriel's entire back. However, for some reason, he looked even better with them around. As if there was something really special about those black patterns.

"These are what define our control over the core of our element," Gabriel responded.

"Does that mean, you're really not a god yet?" Jia asked, stunned. She had never heard about this before. She even wondered if this was also what the other gods were trying to achieve when they left this place!

"God was the name given by you all. He's more like a candidate to become a God," Alion chimed in before turning to Gabriel. "Should you really be going around, telling others about this?"

"It doesn't matter," Gabriel replied. "The ones who want to kill me already know about this. Since she doesn't even know the basics, that only means she has nothing to do with them."

undefinedHe snapped his fingers, making clothes appear around his body again. The flaming black robe wrapped around his shoulders once again.

Gabriel told the little girl about the basics. However, he still didn't tell her one thing. He didn't tell her that the more these Spirit patterns expanded around his body, the more pain he felt. It was as if his body was constantly changing into something he wasn't.

Elora and the others had a lead at the start. However, currently, Gabriel had already entered the inner part of the City while Elora was just reaching the entrance of the city.

"Strange... Why are there broken statues along the way?" Elora wondered. They hadn't yet faced any trap. However, they did find some signs of battle along the way, as if there was someone who had already taken care of all the traps in their path.

Even the compass had stopped making any big movements, as if there were no dangers left there anymore.

"Can we really take the main path to enter the inner parts?" One of the Head Priestesses asked Elora.

Elora in turn looked at the compass of Maya.

"There doesn't seem to be any danger within a hundred meters. It seems safe."

Elora took her first step inside the city. She didn't know why everyone called this city the most dangerous place. They had such an easy time there.

While the outer part of the City was dangerous, it was nothing compared to the inner region which was filled with dangers, as if this city's entire existence was only to stop people from moving forward!

The deeper Jia went inside the city with Gabriel, the more she realized it.

"There's someone ahead!" Jia suddenly stopped, sending a presence not too far from them.

Gabriel was still calm, as if he already knew about this. Their surroundings started changing as soon as Jia reacted. The buildings around them disappeared and a strange white mist spread out.

Not only did the mist make it hard for people to see, but it also had another magical effect. The mist messed with people's sense of direction as if it could manipulate space and time itself.

The more one stepped forward inside the mist, the further in the back they appeared!

"This trick never changes," Gabriel muttered, somewhat irritated. He raised his right hand.

As soon as Gabriel raised his hand, the aura of death spread out. Just his aura alone was enough to counter the mist.

The mist slowly dispersed, revealing a strange being before them.

The person looked like a human. Yet at the same time, it looked like something else. The man had a human-like body. However, he had six hands instead of two hands. His entire body was muscular.

The bare-chested man didn't look dead. Instead, his body was full of vitality. Unfortunately, he didn't look alive either. His eyes were blood red and his face was blank, as if he was nothing more than a puppet.

"Isn't he...?" Alion frowned. "I thought he was dead!"

"He's not completely dead. He's in control of someone else. When I came here last time, this guy also fought me," Gabriel answered. "When it was about to lose, it disappeared."

"He's the guardian of the core region of the City. In other words... He's the one who guards the path that leads to the realm between life and death. So you should be able to guess why he's still alive..."

"You mean he's being controlled by a Spirit from the Nether Realm?' Alion frowned. He finally understood why the man looked dead and alive at the same time.

Gabriel didn't just answer. Instead, he raised his right hand.

"You've annoyed me enough," he told the being before him. However, just as he finished speaking, that man disappeared.

The man appeared right behind Gabriel, stunning Jia and Alion who didn't even have time to react.

The man punched with all six fists at the same time. His physical strength also appeared to be contactable to Jia's strength. It was as if just one punch from that man could shatter even stars.

Not only did the man have strength, but his speed was also something mystical, almost bordering teleportation, making it impossible for others to keep up with him!

Boom~

The man's fists landed on Gabriel's back, all at once. However, what happened next made even Jia tremble!

Gabriel didn't even move from his spot. It was as if he was a wall while the being who punched him was no more than a child.

Gabriel's reaction was still calm. However, the reactions of the being behind him twisted in fear and anger.

"You're too weak to play with me." Gabriel's calm voice fell in the ears of the six-armed man.

The man made a quick decision, jumping back. However, as soon as he landed in the back, his body dropped to the ground, lifelessly.

It was just his body that moved back. However, his spirit couldn't move back at all!

It was as if some mysterious force had trapped his soul in its place, making it unable to move at all.

That invisible force was not only strong enough to hold the spirit back, but it also made the spirit feel immense pain.

Gabriel turned around, lazily glancing at the spirit which was struggling to free itself.

"And here I was wondering, how I could get your spirit. Who would've thought that you would deliver it personally..."

He placed his finger on the forehead of the evil spirit. The spirit screeched in pain as it was slowly devoured by Gabriel.

Spiritual energy entered Gabriel's body, not only making him stronger but also giving him some of the memories of the spirit.

Before long, the entire spirit disappeared. As for the body of the man, it slowly disinterested, turning into a pool of blood in the middle of the street.

Jia was still standing in a daze. It was the first time she had truly seen Gabriel's skills when it came to dealing with the Spirits. She even wondered if Gabriel could kill everyone like this! It was a brutal way to kill someone after all!

She understood even better why Gabriel was so frightening in his era. Just because he had been kind enough with her to answer her questions, she had forgotten for a moment that he was the Death Star!

"Why do I feel like you've become even stronger ever since your return?" Alion asked, taking a subtle glance at the pool of blood in the back. "I don't remember you ever having a trick like that."

"My strength resides in my soul." Gabriel raised his right hand in the direction of the blood pool. A small portal appeared above the blood pool that started sucking in all the blood from the pool, as if it was a black hole.

"With the merging of two lives, my soul is certainly stronger than it was in the past," he explained. However, only he knew if he was telling the truth or not. Alion knew that even if Gabriel wasn't stronger than before, he wasn't going to accept it before outsiders like Jia.

After what happened in the past, Gabriel had been very careful in what information to give Jia. Even though he looked as if he was answering everything that Jia asked, only Alion knew that Gabriel was only giving her the information that he wanted to give her.

Even if Jia ever spread the information he gave her, it could only make his enemies more wary about him.

undefinedAfter all the blood was absorbed, the blood pool disappeared, leaving only the red marks on the street.

Gabriel's robe fluttered in the wind as he turned his back toward Alion and continued treading ahead.

Half an hour later, Elora also reached the spot. The small group of people from the Church of Water still hadn't faced any dangers. They didn't even realize that it was because they were indirectly following Gabriel who was way ahead of them.

All they saw along the way were battle marks and destroyed formations.

"This looks fresh... As if blood was spilled here but long ago." Elora touched the spot on the road where the blood pool used to be.

Even most of the blood was cleaned, but as a Holy Lord of Water, she could still feel the blood easily. She also felt that the blood didn't belong to anyone weak! If anything, it was the blood of someone who was as strong as her, if not more.

"Could it be that there really is someone else here other than us?" Maya asked.

"The sounds of battles in the past and all the traps that were destroyed along the way... It can't be anything else. We aren't alone here." Elora nodded, slightly wondering who else could come here that wasn't worried about these traps and could easily walk through the deadly City!

"Could it be another Holy Lord? Should we try to catch up to them?" One of the Head Priestesses asked. "If we can work with them, we might be able to get more information!"

"What if they aren't friends?" Another Head Priestesses asked. "If they try to kill us, could we really survive? I think it's better if we follow the compass and move slowly."

"Master, I think the same." Maya also nodded. "Since they're moving so fast, it only means they're in a hurry. The deeper they go, the more dangers they'll face. It won't be long before they are dead if they aren't careful. We don't need to work with idiots like them."

"Exactly. They can lead the way as long as possible. And when they are dead, we can move ahead with the help of the compass, avoiding dangers." The Second Head Priestess also agreed, licking her lips.

Since they were safer in the back, they didn't have to worry about anything. All they had to do was pick up the fruits of someone else's hard work!

She further added. "Let them be the tools for our use! Thanks to them, we must be the ones who truly enter the core region of the City and find out the secrets that no one could!"

Elora could only rub her forehead. She wasn't ruthless enough to watch others die if she could save them. However, she also knew that the others were right. It was a good opportunity for them to take advantage of.

Moreover, there really was no guarantee that the other side wasn't going to kill them first if they went to them. In the end, she agreed with the decision of the others and intentionally slowed down even more!

The traps of the inner city were made to stop people from getting close to the core region. The traps were strong enough to hold even ordinary gods back. Unfortunately, it was different for Gabriel who had already been to that place once.

Not only did he know all about the traps in advance which he faced in the past, but he also had strength to force through all those traps, destroying them completely along the way!

The defenses of the City collapsed one after the other in the face of Gabriel's true strength. When Gabriel came to this place for the first time, it was still somewhat hard for him to get here since everything was so new for him. However, this time things were different.

"I didn't think it would be so easy to pass through this city," Jia scratched the back of her head. She didn't even have to do anything from the start. She was like a child who was just following the adults.

"Don't get complacent," Gabriel responded. "The defense of this city is nothing in comparison to the place we're going. Passing through the City is the minimum criteria to reach that place... Just the 'minimum' criteria."

"I'll keep that in mind." Jia didn't talk back to Gabriel. Not only did she not have the courage, but she also believed that he wasn't lying.

Moreover, she knew that if it wasn't for Gabriel traveling with them, it would've been almost impossible for them to get so far, let alone having strength to enter the Nether Realm.

Thud~

Jia walked right behind Gabriel. However, as Gabriel suddenly stopped, Jia hit him from behind.

"This is strange..." Gabriel stood still, frowning. It was the first time throughout this entire trip that Gabriel showed such expressions.

Along the way, it was as if he knew everything about everything. However, for the first time, even he appeared confused.

"Did something happen?" Alion asked, wondering why Gabriel stopped so suddenly.

He looked ahead, trying to see what Gabriel was looking at. However, since everything in this place was new to him, he didn't understand what was out of place.

He could only see the stairs before them. There appeared no end to the stairs at all. Both sides of the stairs were covered by a strange chaotic energy, making him feel as if he was going to die if he touched that black energy.

"I don't remember these stairs being here in the past..." Gabriel frowned. He tried to use his magic to disperse the black mist to see if he could walk past the stairs without taking them.

However, even he didn't succeed. The black mist had the same element of death as him which countered his spell, making it impossible for him to do anything to it!

"This chaotic energy... I only remember seeing it in the Nether Realm. Why would it be outside?"

Frowning, Gabriel stepped closer. He reached out his hand, touching the black chaotic mist. However, he soon pulled his hand back, feeling a terrible pain as if his hand was being destroyed by that mist.

His hand was completely pale, as if most of the blood had been sucked dry by that mist. Fortunately, he pulled his hand back fast enough.

Alion also saw what that mist did to Gabriel. It was clearly more dangerous than anything they had faced before. "It looks like we can only take the stairs if we want to go further."

Gabriel frowned, looking at the stairs. He didn't know why, but he had a really bad feeling about thisā€¦

"Should we go up the stairs?" Alion wondered as there appeared no other way to move forward. All the other ways were blocked and almost impossible to pass through.

Gabriel thought for a short period of time, before nodding. Even though he hadn't seen these stairs the last time he came here, he still didn't hesitate.

He stepped on the stairs.

As soon as Gabriel stepped on the first staircase, he felt as if the entire space around him had changed. He looked back yet he couldn't see Alion and Jia anymore.

Alion watched Gabriel step on the stairs and disappear right before their eyes.

undefinedHe also stepped up. However, he experienced the same thing as well. He couldn't see Gabriel or Jia anymore. He was the only person on the stairs.

Jia was the only person who still hadn't stepped up. However, even she didn't take long before taking her first step forward. After coming this far, she didn't want to go back.

Gabriel was already on the first step of these mysterious stairs that he hadn't seen before. There was no way back anymore. He couldn't even meet up with Alion and Jia. The path back had been blocked. He could only move forward.

He didn't know why, but as soon as he stepped on the stairs, he felt a strange connection between these stairs and his spirit patterns. Even though he couldn't control or see through these stairs, he felt that these stairs had something to do with his element.

He started going up the stairs. So far, the stairs looked quite ordinary. The only thing that appeared out of place was that some traces of blood could be seen on the initial steps.

The marks of blood looked as if they had been there for a really long time, possibly for more than thousands of years.

Even after such a long time, a trace of spirit aura could still be felt from the dried blood marks, which only showed just how strong the person must've been whose blood was spilled here.

Gabriel kept climbing higher, yet he wasn't able to see the end of these stairs.

He also felt that the stairs were dangerous yet he didn't experience any dangers so far.

After Gabriel took his hundredth step on the stairs, the blood marks weren't there anymore. It was as if there was a qualitative change in the stairs after he came so far. He also felt someone's presence.

He raised his head, looking above. Even though he still couldn't see the end of these stairs, but he did find something even more extraordinary.

There stood something not too far from him. It was a cloaked figure whose face was impossible to see. However, that thing had an aura of death all around it.

The aura was so strong that for a moment, even Gabriel was surprised. Fortunately, that thing didn't have any signs of life, or he would've thought that it was another person who was similar to him.

Instead, the being was more like an undead... An undead who could use the Element of Death!

"A Lich?" Gabriel frowned. He couldn't see the face of the thing ahead. However, from the body structure, and the aura, he already had a rough idea as to what he was facing.

The Liches were rare in this World. In fact, it was hard to find one even for him. It was even harder to kill one!

Many liches took precautions to hide or safeguard one or more soul-artifacts that anchored a part of their soul to the material world. If the corporeal body of a lich was killed, that portion of the lich's soul that had remained in the body did not pass on to the next world, but would rather exist in a non-corporeal form capable of being resurrected in the near future.

However, if all of the lich's soul-artifacts were destroyed, then the lich's only anchor in the material world was their corporal body, whereupon destruction could easily cause their permanent death.

That's why, Liches were often called one of the rare few overlords even in the realm of the undead!

Liches were beings that were quite different from him. While Gabriel still had his independence and his soul, Liches were the ones who gave up their souls to form soul-artifacts. The Liches were known to seal their souls in exchange for immortality and strength.

Unfortunately, that made them no different from a slightly intelligent beast. An ordinary Lich couldn't even speak.

So far, Gabriel only knew one Lich who could speak! It was the Lich King from the Undead Region where Raphael also resided. However, even if that Lich could speak, it was only basic, as if a child was speaking. He could only speak a few words with his limited intelligence.

Contrary to the Lich King, the Lich in front of him felt different. The Lich that stood before him felt not only stronger, but also more intelligent!

The Lich still hadn't tried to attack him, but it didn't leave either. It was as if it was judging him!

Gabriel frowned, observing the Lich in the distance. When he came here last, he hadn't seen one. He was clear that this thing was born in the last thousand years.

Unfortunately, a thousand year old lich, born in the Nether Realm was much more dangerous than even the Lich King since it could utilize the Strength of the Nether Realm which was hard for even Gabriel to control for the time being.

Gabriel had a good sense of his strength and weakness. If it was an ordinary Lich, he would've already tried to use the Army of Undead to turn this Lich into his own soldier but unfortunately, that was unlikely this time.

"Are you sure you want to block my path?" he asked.

With that kind of strength, Gabriel was sure that the Lich had a high level of intelligence... At least much closer to an ordinary human if not more.

"You are the thief..." Only four words came out of the Lich's mouth. However, those four words surprised Gabriel. The Lich was calling him a thief?

"What did I steal?" Gabriel frowned. He didn't remember stealing anything from this Lich as far as he remembered.

"Souls... Don't belong... You steal..." The Lich said, only speaking briefly. However, that was enough for Gabriel to realize what it was talking about!

"So the Nether Realm sent you to stop me from entering?" Gabriel asked, slightly interested. He understood that it was because last time he came in and stole a soul. He was clear that the Nether Realm already hated him the most so it wasn't surprising that it was trying everything to kill him this time!

If possible, Gabriel didn't want to enter the Nether Realm since he was sure that the Nether Realm was going to go all out this time, in order to stop him from ever leaving!

Last time, he somehow managed to leave alive. He knew precisely how dangerous that place was. However, he had a feeling that this time, it was going to be much harder than last time.

Last time, he was attacked after he freed the soul of his sister. However, this time, they were trying to kill him before he could even get to the souls!

"So that's why these stairs were made... To make it impossible for me to escape or have enough space to dodge..." Gabriel finally realized why there were stairs here which weren't here last time.

Most people would've already tried escaping when faced with a Lich with such strength. Not only could the Lich also control magic, but it could also use the undead to fight! It was said that it was easier to kill a god than it was to kill a strong Lich.

undefinedHowever, Gabriel didn't hesitate in the slightest. Even though the presence of the Lich made him concerned, but if he couldn't even pass through the first obstruction, how could he reach the area where the souls were kept.

His aura also intensified, spreading out. The Lich sensed Gabriel's aura. Unfortunately, even before Gabriel's aura, it didn't feel a single shred of fear. As they were both beings of Death, their auras didn't affect each other much.

Moreover, the Lich before Gabriel was out of his contribution. Gabriel's control over the death was limited and the Nether Realm and its beings were precisely the things that he couldn't control. It was like he was a King of one Kingdom while they were in an entirely different Kingdom altogether!

"Are you really sure you can stop me this time?" Gabriel asked as his voice turned colder.

The Godly Staff that he hadn't used before appearing right in his hands, amplifying his existing control over the undead even more.

Instead of being scared, the Lich nodded. "Today... You die..."

The Lich raised both his hands. None could hear what the Lich said next. However, after a few seconds, its figure disappeared as if it had left already. However, that didn't make Gabriel feel better. If anything, he prepared for a battle!

The stairs that were unbreakable started splitting apart, as if cracks were developing in the middle of the stairs. The cracks widened soon as hands kept coming out of the cracks.

Before long, multiple undead beings were standing before Gabriel, from Skeleton Mages to powerful undead Orcs. Gabriel could even see some undead elves that held bows and arrows made from dead tree branches, standing far away in the distance, aiming at him.

In such a short time, there were already over a hundred undead beings before him with different specialties.

Some could use brute strength, without being scared of pain. Others could use magic and then there were long range attackers that used bows. It was like a short yet powerful army was created right there on the stairs to face him.

What was worse was that the dangers weren't just ahead of him! There were even more troubles behind him.

In the first ninety nine steps that Gabriel took, he saw blood marks in each of the steps. However, all those blood marks started changing into a pool of blood!

From each of the blood pools, a being appeared, each made from only the blood itself!

"Blood Demons?" Gabriel frowned, glancing back. Unlike humans, the blood Demons didn't have bones or flesh. They were purely made of blood. What was worse was that they could heal themselves again and again, as long as each drop of their blood wasn't destroyed.

Gabriel rubbed his forehead, having a little headache. All this preparation was done, just for him. It made him feel slightly impressed that these people took him so seriously. He could only imagine how frustrated they had been for the last thousand years ever since he stole something from right under their noses.

While Gabriel was faced with so many undead, the situation of Jia and Alion wasn't very optimistic either.

After leaving Gabriel, the Lich appeared before Jia.

Unlike Gabriel, Jia wasn't calm at the sight of the Lich. She had only heard about these beings in legends. It was her first time seeing one in reality.

Jia held her heavy sword in her hand firmly. Just the aura of the Lich alone was enough to give her a sense of danger.

Fortunately, the Lich didn't take Jia seriously. Compared to a god like Gabriel, Jia was nothing in his eyes.

He didn't even speak with the little girl. He summoned close to ten Undeads to deal with Jia before leaving.

It was only after the Lich left that Jia slightly calmed down. She much preferred to deal with the Undeads than to deal with a Lich who was almost impossible to kill! She only believed that Gabriel was the only person here who was capable of killing one.

She raised her heavy Sword, pointing it toward the Undead Orc that was closest to her. "Let's finish it fast before he returns!"

The Lich next appeared before Alion. Even though he was only here to stop Gabriel, but he didn't want to let others pass through either.

He considered Alion to be more threatening than Jia and summoned over twenty Undeads before disappearing.

Only Alion was left behind, slightly confused. He didn't understand why the Lich didn't try to kill them directly, instead of Summoning twenty undead. He wasn't as strong as Gabriel to last against a Lich after all.

Alion didn't know that it wasn't that the Lich didn't fight them directly. It was just that he couldn't. He was sent here only to deal with Gabriel. He couldn't surpass the rules placed on him and attack others directly. In fact, what he was doing was already more than enough according to it.

The Lich could only personally fight Gabriel. However, he didn't do that either. Even though the Lich didn't show it before, but he was also a little hesitant in fighting Gabriel directly. There was an innate sense of fear inside him that he didn't let Gabriel realize.

He knew that it was dangerous to fight Gabriel directly. That's why he left his undead there to deal with Gabriel or at least exhaust him so he could take advantage of the situation.

It was only after he placed all his pawns in position that he relaxed. Now all he had to do was wait... Wait for the right opportunity to strike at the so-called thief!

Gabriel stood in the midst of hundreds of enemies that could neither feel pain, nor fear.

What was worse was that he was attacked from both sides, front and back. Due to being on the stairs, he didn't even have enough space to dodge.

The stairs also had a sealed space, making it impossible to open up a space to teleport to a different place. One could only climb up step by step if they wanted to go above.

The Undead Orc rushed to Gabriel, holding a heavy ax in his hand. On the back, the Blood Demon's hand transformed into a sharp bloody Sword that he swung at Gabriel's back.

"If you think making it crowded is enough to kill me, then you still underestimate me a lot." Gabriel's cold voice spread far.

undefinedClank ~

A metallic sound was heard, followed by a boom. On one side, Gabriel called out the Sword of Ulien that he used to block the ax of the Undead Orc. At the same time, on the other hand, he held the real Ancestral Staff of Death.

To fight the Undead Orcs, Gabriel knew that just his cold weapon was enough. However, the Blood Demon's weren't so special as their blood was their weapon. Only magic could stop them.

The Book of Necromancy came out of his body, floating right before him as well. The Book of Necromancy looked slightly bigger now. Its aura was more subtle now. However, multiple spirits could be seen floating around it.

As soon as the book appeared, the Orcs and the Blood Demons stopped for a moment. However, it was just a brief moment before they broke free of the subconscious control of the Grimoire.

"Spirit Explosion."

After the Blood Demon was blocked, Gabriel used his first spell. An evil spirit rushed out from the Grimoire, as if it was unable to control itself.

The spirit shot straight to the closest Blood Demon, only exploding after it struck the Blood Demon.

Boom~

A loud explosion took place that made even the stairs tremble a little. Deadly flames spread out due to the explosion, destroying more than just the one Blood Demon that was hit.

While Gabriel dealt with the Blood Demons using magic, a head could be seen flying high in the air.

Not long after, the head finally dropped to the ground, followed by the lifeless body of the Undead Orc who was slain by Gabriel's Sword.

Gabriel took a step forward, climbing up. Even with so many undeads to face, he still had an advantage that the Lich didn't think of. Even though the stairs made it impossible for him to dodge, but at the same time, it was precisely because of it that more than a few Undeads couldn't fight him at the same time.

What was even better was that even the Undeads couldn't dodge!

The Magic Casters and the Undead Elves were more troublesome since they attacked from long range. It was very hard to kill them without exposing himself to danger. That's why, Gabriel just let them be for the time being.

He simply cast a small barrier in the air above him to protect himself from the magic attacks and the arrows of the Undead Mages and the Archers. The Undead Orcs before him also acted as his shield so that any attack from the Mages could only come from above him which gave him this opportunity.

With each step that Gabriel climbed, the head of an Undead Orc rolled on the stairs while their bodies dropped lifelessly. Gabriel climbed the stairs, walking above the corpse on each of the steps. At the same time, the Blood Demons behind him were having an even harder time getting close to him.

They were the ones who had to face the brunt of Gabriel's magic. They were usually very hard to kill. However, in front of Gabriel, all their weaknesses were exposed, leaving all their flaws in the open for him to exploit.

One after another, the Undeads kept dying. Whether it be strength, magic or defense... Gabriel was above the Undead in all these aspects. What was even better was that the Lich underestimated him.

Not only did Gabriel not exhaust himself, instead he was only recovering his strength the more he killed. It's been a long time since he could kill so many after all.

Within the next ten minutes, Gabriel had already climbed fifty more steps, leaving only fifty or so more.

He also dealt with all the Blood Demons behind him and the Undead Orcs. The stairs of hell were covered in blood and footsteps that belonged to him.

Now all that was left were the Undead Skeleton Mages and the Archers. However, Gabriel didn't deal with them one by one.

He just raised his right hand in the direction of the Undead Skeletons and the Archers.

"Devour." Only one word came from his mouth... A world belonging to a spell that he hadn't used before in his current life.

As soon as Gabriel used the spell, it was as if time stopped at once. The Archers and the Skeleton Mages stopped even moving, as if their souls were going through seven layers of hell, unable to even see what was happening right before their eyes.

At the same time, an invisible force kept attacking their body, slowly devouring it.

Within seconds, over fifty Undeads were dead, leaving not even a single drop of blood behind. What was even better was that Gabriel felt as if he had regained all his strength that he spent in casting the spell.

"Are you going to show yourself now, or should I drag you out personally?" Gabriel asked as he kept climbing up lazily.

"You are strong." A lifeless voice was heard before a cloaked being appeared at the top stair.

The Lich had appeared again. However, he was somewhat surprised himself. He wasn't even born when Karyk came here last time. So he hadn't seen Karyk's means or how this guy faught. He only heard some things about Karyk which made him believe that he could easily take the guy down.

He didn't realize that everything he heard wasn't entirely correct. He lived in the outermost layer of the Nether Realm. The beings there were the most arrogant. Even if they were brutally thrashed, they would've never accepted the opponent's strength.

Just to maintain their dignity, the others from the outer layer that saw Gabriel's onslaught last time bragged that Gabriel was just lucky to be able to avoid their pursuit. They didn't say that it was them who were hiding when Gabriel was in the outer layer of the Nether Realm.

It was all because they didn't really believe that Gabriel was still alive. What could a dead person even do even if he found out that they were lying.

The poor Lich took them for their words and came out of the Nether Realm to guard its borders to get rid of the 'Shameless' person who only knew how to sneak around and hide.

The Lich had been waiting here for close to five hundred years, for this moment exactly. He didn't even know that the others in the outer layer of the Nether Realm were laughing at him for waiting for a dead person who was never going to come!

"I'm not strong," Gabriel responded. "Instead, you're weak. I will give you one chance! It's not easy for a Lich to grow up to your level! Surrender to me and clear my path! I'll grant you your life and allow you opportunities to become even stronger!"

"A cowardly human who only knew how to hide and steal in the past is talking about sparing my life? Laughable!" The Lich spoke coldly, expressing some killing intent as well.

"I won't allow you to step inside the Nether Realm. Today is the day you die for your sins!"

undefinedThe Lich raised both his hands, joining them together. "Just because you killed them, you think I can't bring them back?"

The Lich used all his strength to bring all the undead back again that Gabriel dealt with before. This time, he wasn't going to let Gabriel fight them alone; instead, he was going to kill him together with his undead!

"I'll personally lead this battle! Even if you keep killing them, I'll keep bringing them back! I'll see how long you can last!"

The Lich still didn't want Gabriel to get close to him. He was very careful. He wanted to make it a battle of attrition where no matter how many undead Gabriel killed, it wasn't going to make any difference.

After a day, or a week, or even a month, the Lich didn't believe that Gabriel could survive this unending onslaught for an eternity!

"Hmm?" After a few seconds, the Lich opened his eyes in disbelief. "How is this possible?! Why can't I bring them back?! What did you do?!"

For the first time, the Lich lost his composure as his sharp screech echoed.

"Are you talking about them?" Gabriel raised his right hand, clenching his fist.

A strange aura of death covered the stairs. It was as if Gabriel's magical energy was directly penetrating inside the stairs this time.

Now that he spilled so much blood on the stairs, bathing it in blood, he had managed to gain some of the control over the stairs. What was even better was the second thing.

Cracks opened up in the stairs. And what happened next made the Lich take a step back in shock.

The Blood Demons that he created before came back to life! The Undead Orcs also woke up, as their heads flew to their bodies, merging. It was as if they were completely fine now!

The Undead Skeletons Mages and the Archers were also back! However, instead of being happy, the Lich was in disbelief.

When he tried to wake them up again, he couldn't even feel them. However, Gabriel succeeded instantly! This was nothing like he planned! He wanted to make it a battle of attrition for Gabriel! Who would've known that Gabriel had already prepared to use the same trick for him.

"I know that you won't die even if I kill you here," Gabriel lazily spoke. "Your real soul should be sealed somewhere else. So even if I kill you, it won't be useful. It'll just be a waste of my time."

"That's why, why don't you play with my toys for the time being? I'll deal with you when I'm back."

After Gabriel finished speaking, his figure disappeared. He wasn't on the stairs anymore. On the other hand, the Lich was even in a worse situation. Not only did Gabriel steal the control over his Undeads, but Gabriel also stole the control of the stairs.

The spatial restriction that was placed on Gabriel disappeared while the same restrictions were placed on the Lich.

All the Undeads that once fought for the Lich now attacked him, intending to destroy his body.

Even without his Undead, the Lich wasn't weak. He fought back with everything he had, even calling a Wraith to help him. Unfortunately, nothing helped him. The more Undeads he killed, the more they returned back to life. It was exactly like his plan.

It was as if he was using his skull against a wall and hoping that it would break, but he was only exhausting himself.

The more this battle went on, the more exhausted he became. He couldn't even leave without killing all of the Undeads. Some arrows impaled his arms, but he still kept fighting, facing attacks after attacks.

"I gave you a choice. You can't blame me," Gabriel appeared outside the boundaries of the stairs, looking back in the direction of the stairs.

Before him, there was a giant door. The door appeared to be made from blood crystals. It was not only impossible to break, but the more one was in contact with the blood crystals, the more they had the chance of losing their mind into the sea of bloodlust. That's why, many people tried to avoid even going near the Blood Crystal Door.

Unfortunately, this door was the only way to enter the Nether Realm! This door was also at the heart of the Abandoned City of Gods!

While Gabriel was observing the door that he was seeing after a long time, he felt some footsteps behind him.

"You came out pretty fast," Gabriel muttered, without even looking back.

Alion smiled in response. "If I couldn't even take care of a few Undeads, it would've been embarrassing."

"So this is the door of the Nether Realm?" He asked, looking at this door for the first time in his life.

Gabriel nodded as he opened his lips to answer. However, just as he was about to speak, more footsteps were heard.

Jia was also out of the stairs. Her Sword was covered in blood that was still dripping down. However, her face and expressions were still as innocent as before. There was not a single scratch on her body, let alone a single speck of dust on her clothes.

It was as if the Undeads couldn't even get close to her.

"Now that you're both here, this will be your last reminder," Gabriel said, glancing at the door before him. "This is your last chance. You can still leave. If you enter that place with me, there's a high chance that you'll end up dead!"

As Gabriel spoke, he also touched the door, pushing it with all his might.

The Door used the Blood Crystals for its construction. A single blood crystal alone contained immense blood energy that could make anyone go crazy, filling them with bloodlust. A door made from thousands of such crystals was even more dangerous.

Even for Gabriel, who had a lot of blood on his hands due to killing many people, it was hard to keep his mind calm.

Multiple thoughts rushed into his mind, trying to overwhelm him. It was as if thousands of voices were whispering in his ears, telling him to kill everyone who was near him to get immense strength!

Gabriel fought back against these bloody thoughts, knowing that these were the effect of the Blood Door.

"Let me help you!" Alion stepped forward. The door was hard to open. Even with Gabriel using all his strength, the door clearly looked so heavy that Gabriel could only move it a few inches in every attempt.

undefined"Stay back!" Gabriel yelled back. He could at least control himself even when he was in contact with the Bloody door, but it was almost impossible for Alion.

Even though he was opening the door slowly, it was still not bad. After a few minutes, he finally managed to open the crack between the doors enough so that one person could enter at a time.

After opening the doors, Gabriel finally took his hands off, breathing heavily. Just opening the door itself was like fighting a great war in his mind.

He told the others to follow closely behind before passing through the crack in the door, disappearing into an unknown space.

Alion and Jia entered after him, acting cautiously to not touch the door on their way.

"This place..."

Alion and Jia appeared in an entirely different space. It was their first time in the Nether Realm but what they saw stunned them thoroughly.

They were still in the outermost layer of this Realm yet they still felt the aura of death pressing down on them! This place was simply heaven for the undead beings.

The sky had no sun, yet this place was bright enough for them to see their surroundings clearly.

The sky wasn't blue like they could see on earth. Instead, it had a reddish yue, as if someone had painted the sky blood red.

Let alone the sky, even the ground here was different. There were no signs of life anywhere. With the atmosphere around this place, it wasn't surprising for them to find not a single blade of grass in this place.

The temperature was also very high, as if they were standing right at the edge of an active volcano.

"This is the Nether Realm?" Jia observed his surroundings. This place was something that she always wanted to see ever since she heard about it. However, now that she was here, this place really didn't look anything special.

"It is just the outermost edge of the Nether Realm. It's obvious you won't see much here," Gabriel casually answered. "However, this place is more mystical than you can imagine."

"It's one of the three mystical realms in our universe after all." Alion nodded. "It's no less special than the Upper Realm that all the gods went crazy for. The only difference is that it's much harder to survive in this place."

"Other than the souls that are entrapped there, what's so special about this place?" Jia asked, following Gabriel and Alion deeper into the Nether Realm.

Since they were still in the outermost layer, let alone finding anyone, they couldn't even see a single structure. They just walked over a barren land that was filled with cracks. Not even a single droplet of water could be seen in this as far as the eyes could see.

"This place is dangerous, but it also contains many opportunities," Gabriel explained while navigating further.

As this realm had no sun or winds, it was very hard for people to navigate through this place and find the right direction to get out of the desolate land. All the directions looked the same after all.

"Once upon a time, this Realm used to be more developed than the Upper Realm. However, something happened which resulted in this place becoming what it is now. Despite that, this place is filled with treasures."

"Moreover, Earth isn't the only world that has a portal to enter this place. There exists one such portal in every world, including the upper realm. Unfortunately, no one dares to come to this place anymore."

Gabriel had no idea if he was walking in the right direction or not. Even his own perception of direction was messed up in this place.

He could only leave everything to his inner sense which was somewhat connected to the souls of Novius and Cylix, hoping to navigate the right direction.

Along the way, just to keep him engaged, he told Alion and Jia about some of the history of this place. Unfortunately, even his own knowledge was very limited.

"If it was more developed than the Upper Realm, then how did it fall to this point?" Jia asked, stunned. She couldn't even imagine the Upper Realm falling to this point out of nowhere while this place supposedly used to be even better.

"I heard that a True Immortal God died at this place," Gabriel let out, remembering a story he had heard when he was in the upper realm. He didn't know how true the story was.

"Ever since that day, the entire Realm changed. From that day onwards, the Realm lost all its vitality, making it almost impossible for beings even more powerful than me to live in this place."

"You want to know why?" He asked, glancing back at the little girl.

"Why?" Jia frowned. She had a feeling that this world was truly not simple. She didn't know what it was, but ever since she entered this place, she had a feeling that something was wrong with her. She just couldn't put a finger on it.

"Because you can't recover your strength in this world," Gabriel smirked. "On earth, or in the upper realm, you can recover your spirit essence from the air around you and use it to cast spells even when you're exhausted once."

"However, there's no such thing here. Once you exhaust all your strength, you can't recover it."

"What's worse is that all your divine treasures are useless in this place. A slightly more talented person can kill you even with an ordinary iron sword while you carry your treasure sword."

"This world is truly dead, and so are all the treasures. That's why, it's useless to carry treasures to this place. They can't help you much. What's even worse is that your divine protection is useless in this place."

"In short, you're no different than an ordinary person after you exhaust all your strength in this place. So you better use your spells and strength only when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died!"

"Can't recover?" Jia's face went blank. If what Gabriel said was true, then she finally understood why the great gods refused to enter this place!

In this place, they had no advantage! Outside this realm, they could use all their strength to face their enemies. However, when they were inside this Realm, they could be killed much more easily! Even defensive treasures were useless here!

She was already wondering why Gabriel brought her and Alion to this place. Gabriel was already the strongest amongst them after all. There was no way he would've brought two burdens like them after all!

She finally realized the difference between the three of them was much smaller in this place and Gabriel could use their strength to deal with minor troubles until they were exhausted. That way, he could save his strength for the real powerful enemies and traps!

Despite hearing it from Gabriel, the little girl still tried to test. She tried to absorb the Spiritual Aura from the air. Unfortunately, she couldn't feel even a single trace of it! It was as if she really was no more than a mortal who couldn't even feel any magical aura in the air.

undefinedShe brought out Spirit Crystals. Even if she couldn't absorb spirit aura from the aura from the air, she believed that she could at least use her Spirit Crystals.

"They are also useless. You'd be much better after giving up hope. I've tried everything the last time I was here," Gabriel lazily answered. He didn't even need to look back to see what the little girl was trying.

Unlike Jia, Alion was more calm. He already knew everything that Jia was just finding out.

Jia closed her fist, using the Spirit Crystal. Unfortunately, even with the Spirit Crystal, she couldn't recover any strength! This place was just too mystical!

"Without being able to recover our strength, can the three of us really succeed?" she asked, looking blankly at the Spirit Crystal in her hand that was no more than an ordinary stone at the moment.

"It depends on how you use your strength and how many enemies we face." Even Gabriel wasn't sure if he could succeed this time.

His situation was even worse last time. When he was here for the first time, he didn't know about the specialty of this place. He had already wasted a lot of his strength facing enemies in the outer layer.

That left him with very little Spiritual Strength for later. It was also why he couldn't protect himself properly, getting seriously injured before he was able to leave.

This time, he wanted to reserve his strength for the real troublesome enemies... The Nether Clans of the Core Region.

Unfortunately, he also knew that unlike last time, the enemies weren't going to underestimate him now. If they remembered who he was, then they were all going to come for him.

"You two, I have a special mission for you this time. That's also the reason I brought you to this place."

Although Jia believed that Gabriel brought them here so he could use them in the initial battles to reserve his strength, she didn't realize that she was absolutely wrong. His real intentions were much different.

For a brief moment, Gabriel stopped and turned around, looking at the two before him.

In the middle of the desolate land, only three people could be seen. One was speaking while the other two were listening carefully, at times revealing shocked expressions on their faces.

"Are you looking for death?" Alion exclaimed in disbelief. "After you've successfully managed to return, you want to do this? Did you go crazy during the soul merger or something? I absolutely won't agree to this! You know how dangerous this is!"

Jia also had the same thought. The only difference was that she didn't speak her thoughts out loud. She only said mildly, "I don't think this is good."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you." Gabriel didn't even bother to convince them. It was his decision and it was final. "If you two don't agree, we can go back. I can find other people who will agree with me."

Alion and Jia went silent. They didn't doubt Gabriel's words. It didn't look like he was joking either.

After a long period of silence, Alion and Jia exclaimed in unison. "Alright. We will do it."

"That's much better." Gabriel nodded in satisfaction. His purpose in bringing these two people here was almost completed. Now all that was left was the execution of the plan.

However, before all that, they still had to find a way out of this desolate land and leave the outer layer.

For the next seven hours, Gabriel and the others walked on the dried land. Along the way, Gabriel told the two more about this place.

"As I said before, it's hard for people to live here. However, that's not the case for all. There are a few clans that not only live here, but also possess immense strength. Three clans in particular that you need to keep in mind."

"The first is the Nether Blood Clan, consisting of humans that were born in the Nether Realm itself. They can't use any Spiritual Energy in this place, thus, they use a different method to strengthen themselves... Blood magic."

Jia looked at Gabriel in confusion, not understanding what Blood Magic was. However, before she could even ask, Gabriel continued.

"The second that you need to keep in mind is the Nether Beast Clan. They are born with incredible physical strength. They are real beasts that can take human shape once they are strong enough."

"Amongst the great beast clan, look out for the ones that can take human shape and have two dragon-like horns in their head and light blue skin. They are the Flood Dragons, having the highest strength in the Nether Demon Clan."

"If you come across them, don't look back and just run. You two will die in less than ten seconds if you try to fight them. It took me a great effort to kill them last time I was here. Those bastards were the ones who made me exhaust most of my strength, giving the Nether Blood Clan a chance to injure me."

As Gabriel spoke, he couldn't help but remember the battle as if it was just yesterday. After he saved the soul of his sister, he fought with three beasts from the Nether Demon Clan that blocked his path. Two amongst them were Flood Dragons.

"As for the third great clan, it consists of the undead beings that were born in the bloody rift of the Nether Realm. They have low intelligence but high strength. They are also the ones who guard the Soul Equilibrium.'

Jia and Alion knew that the Nether Realm was dangerous. However, it was only now that they realized truly how dangerous it was. They were already weak while their enemies were strong here.

What was worse was that there were only three of them while the other side had entire clans behind them with seemingly inexhaustible strength. Moreover, the place where they could find the souls were also heavily guarded, making it almost impossible to sneak inside.

Jia didn't even know what Blood Magic was. She could understand why the Undead were strong. They didn't need spiritual strength. They were half dead after all. As for the Beast Clan, they were born with incredible physical strength so it wasn't anything out of place.

It was the humans of the Nether Realm that seemingly used the Blood Magic. According to Gabriel's plan, the chances of them coming across Blood Magic users were close to none. However, she still wanted to be ready for the scenario.

"What is Blood Magic?" Jia asked, frowning.

undefined"Using Blood as a medium of strength," Gabriel answered. "This Realm lacks the spiritual aura that others use. However, what it doesn't lack is Blood."

"The Ancient battlefield of this place has been basked with the blood of many incredible beings in the past. The Blood Magicians use their own blood as sacrifices to summon the ancient warriors from the forgotten era that had died in this Realm and had their blood absorbed by this place."

Jia already knew that Blood Magic wasn't special. However, as she heard more about it, she realized that it was more than just a little special! The Blood Magicians were somewhat similar to Summoners! However, they didn't summon beasts!

They used their Blood as the sacrificial source to summon ancient beings to fight for them if needed.

"Since they're Summoners, they should be quite weak personally. It shouldn't be hard to kill them if we ignore their summon and directly kill them," Jia thought out loud. With her speed, she didn't think that the Blood Magicians could be a threat to her if she didn't give them a chance.

Only the Nether Beast Clan was worth her concern if she came across them. Their physical defense was said to be very strong after all.

Seeing Jia look down on the Blood Mages, Gabriel could only shake his head. There was a saying that people with narrow world views often failed to see the profound secrets. Jia was a living example.

"If you underestimate the Blood Mages, you might find yourself at a loss. There's a reason that whoever tries to come to this Realm died. And that had nothing to do with the Beast Clan or the Undead. It's because of the Blood Mages..."

"Because of the Blood Mages?" Jia asked, slightly taken aback. "You mean the human clans here are more dangerous than the other clans?"

"I told you that they can summon. But if that was all, they wouldn't be called the Royals of the Nether Realm," Gabriel casually answered. "The absolute Ruler of the Nether Realm was also from the Blood Clan the last time I was here."

Jia rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache. She had been trying to be optimistic. However it was as if Gabriel didn't even want them to have hope of getting out of this place alive.

One after another, he kept giving them blow after blow. Just when they prepared themselves for one danger that he talked about, he tossed out information about something even more dangerous and it kept continuing.

At the moment, it felt less like a rescue mission and more like a suicide mission. Unfortunately, they were already here and there was no way back. She could only try to keep faith in her abilities.

"Why is the Blood Clan so dangerous? Aren't they also humans? How can they scare even the Upper Realm beings from stepping foot in this place. Even if there is no recovery in this place, it shouldn't intimidate them that much. How did the Blood Clan become the overlord of this place?"

"I heard that it has something to do with the ancient being who died in this place, changing the entire Realm into the realm of death that we know today. Is it true?" Alion also inquired. His knowledge was also very limited in this matter.

"How should I know? I didn't talk to anyone from the Blood Clan. However, I did hear some stories myself. As for how believable those stories are, I am not sure." Gabriel nodded.

"According to the legends, after the ancient being died in this place, this entire Realm became a cursed place where the Spiritual Strength started dying."

"It was an era of great change for this place. According to stories, it was also around that same time that a human managed to get a single blood droplet from that Ancient Being's body before its body was destroyed."

"It's said that the human used that blood droplet. Not only did it increase his strength immensely, almost to the level of gods, but it also gave him some inheritance from that dead Ancient Being."

Even Gabriel was intrigued by the stories that he heard about this Realm. Even in the era where he had infiltrated the Nether Realm last time, the Overlord of this realm was comparable to the Ruler of the Upper Realm.

However, that person didn't reveal himself last time he was here. Gabriel didn't know why that person didn't try to stop him. He wasn't even sure if he could've managed to leave if that person had shown himself since he had already exhausted all his strength at that time.

Gabriel knew that if that person had shown himself, he would've had no choice but to cast a World Level Spell in this place which was his last resort.

"The Inheritance of the dead ancient being? If that person's death caused this entire Nether Realm to turn into a desolate wasteland, then just how strong must he be? How strong must his inheritance be?" Jia's eyes revealed an envious gaze for the first time.

She couldn't help but be jealous of the Ancestor of the Nether Blood Clan for receiving that inheritance, jumping from being a nobody straight to being an overlord.

"You don't have to guess. The inheritance was supposedly a skill that allows them to absorb blood from the living beings that they kill. In that way, they can steal the strength of others," Gabriel lazily answered.

"That's why, in the era after that, anyone who entered this Realm was hunted and killed by the Blood Clan who were taught this skill by their Patriarch. The Upper Realm tried to have their revenge."

"They could've sent an army to raze all the clans of this Realm. However, before the limitations of this world, their army couldn't recover their strength once they used it. At the same time, the Blood Clan could recover nonstop by absorbing the blood of each person they killed."

"The Blood Clan could fight nonstop as long as they could kill enough. In other words, every person they killed became their strength! That's why, the Upper Realm gave up and just forbade their people from entering this realm."

"The Upper Realm doesn't send anyone because there's no benefit and only death that awaits their people if they come here. However, at the same time, the Nether Realm can't send anyone outside either."

" Their advantages are essentially useless in the outside world where people can recover their strength from their surroundings. That's why the stalemate took place."

Even though Gabriel appeared to know a lot of things about this place, it was all from his past life. As he had been dead for close to a thousand years, he didn't know what changes may have occurred in the Nether Realm and the Upper Realm.

undefinedThe only thing he was sure about was that the Blood Clan probably didn't have anyone that they could use to strengthen themselves since outsiders stopped entering. He didn't believe that the Blood Clan could've been stronger than they were when he last came here.

The Undead didn't have blood for the Blood Clan to use. At the same time, the Nether Beast Clan had Beast Blood which was like poison for humans. Thus, without outsiders, the Blood Clan had no choice but to develop slowly, unlike their rapid acceleration from the past.

Even though the Blood Clan tried to lure outsiders through various means, all their efforts failed due to the Upper Realm which prohibited anyone from entering this place. The Upper Realm was very concerned about the Blood Clan's growth and didn't want to give them an opportunity.

If anything, the Upper Realm was waiting for the day when the Blood Clan would get impatient and leave this place so the Upper Realm could slaughter them all!

As Gabriel spoke, he noticed Jia looking back again and again.

"Why do you keep looking back again and again? Is something there?"

"Nothing, I'm just wondering if the door is still open. Maybe I should stand outside the door of the Nether Realm to make sure no one enters this place from outside to disturb you."

Jia didn't show even a trace of embarrassment. However, Alion could see what was in her mind. He couldn't help but laugh.

The girl who chased after him for so long was genuinely scared this time and wanted to find an excuse to leave. Even though he couldn't blame her, he still found it funny.

This trip was really dangerous for sure, especially with how they were like walking food for the Nether Blood Clan which had been starving for over a thousand years for fresh blood!

Even Gabriel felt slightly amused. The little girl certainly cared about her reputation. Instead of showing that she was scared, she was still finding a righteous cause.

However, he also knew that she was only hesitating slightly. She wasn't really a coward. If she was, she would've already turned around and left long ago.

Gabriel slowed down, walking right next to the little girl.

He placed his left hand on the head of the little girl, roughing up her head, as if he was an older brother who was messing with his little sister.

"You don't have to be so scared. I told you, the Nether Blood Clan will have no interaction with you. Just follow the plan. I'll take care of them."

The little girl could only nod her head. She was one of the strongest people that she knew. However, her strength was nothing in comparison to the ancient giants like the God of Death Karyk, or the Patriarch of the Blood Clan who was comparable to the mighty ruler of the Upper Realm.

Even when she was in the Upper Realm, there were thousands of people who were much stronger than her. As for the Ruler of the Upper Realm, even though she hadn't seen that mysterious person before, however she still knew that he wasn't something that she could ever compare to!

He was someone that had such a high level that he was like the majestic sky while she was an ant, crawling on the ground.

She didn't even know if Gabriel could be compared to her.

From what she heard through Gabriel, she really felt that the Ruler of the Upper Realm was someone who had managed to gain a hundred percent control of his element, or even surpassed the level after that.

In fact, she didn't even know just how many people were there in the Upper Realm who reached that level, leaping through the gate of heaven, gaining strength comparable to true gods.

Whenever she thought about the fact about how strong Gabriel's enemies were, she could only sigh.

However, she was optimistic about one thing. It was Gabriel's Element! There were many special elements in the world. Flame, Water and others were ordinary elements.

Above them were special elements like Light, Darkness and such. The Special Elements were inherently stronger than normal elements. However, at the absolute peak, there was another class of Elements... The Supreme Element!

It was said that this tier contained rare few elements like Space, Time, Life and Death!

Even though Gabriel didn't have a hundred percent authority over his Element yet, but because of how special his element was, he could face those beyond his level already! She could only imagine how strong he could be if he gained absolute authority!

She could already imagine a scene where the supreme warriors from all over the universe who died a long time ago came to life at the same time, fighting for Gabriel! She didn't even know if that was possible but she could only think about how chilling that scene could be!

Currently, most of Gabriel's body was covered in the sacred Spirit Lines of Death. She could already see that those spirit lines covered over seventy percent of Gabriel's body.

That meant, in the World of Death, his empire already covered more than seventy percent of the land area! Just a little more and he could've reached the perfection. Unfortunately, the last thirty percent was the hardest.

The further one progressed, the harder it became. It could even be seen by the Goddess of Light who was only halfway there.

Even when Jia was in the Upper Realm, she didn't hear anyone else possessing a Supreme Element. She had a feeling that the Ruler of the Upper Realm had a Supreme Element. However she wasn't even sure which element it was, or if he even had any!

All she knew was that the future wasn't going to be peaceful.

Gabriel was inside the Nether Realm which was completely cut off from the earth. There was no way for him to contact earth without leaving this place. That was also why he wasn't informed about the changes that were happening on earth.

Avilia had already located the City of Abadon. However, infiltrating it was still as hard as ever. Lambard was even more careful ever since his maid was caught last time.

At that moment, the entire city was sealed. Even Avilia didn't try to enter for the time being. She didn't want to alert Lambard and decided to wait for Gabriel to return first.

Looking at the cloudy sky, she couldn't help but wonder what Gabriel might be doing at the moment. However, just as she was thinking about Gabriel, she felt a strange aura coming from all around.

She turned around, glancing back in the direction of the Royal City of Arecia Empire! This aura wasn't ordinary. It was as intense to the aura of the little girl who had single handedly defeated all the Holy Lords.

undefinedAvilia didn't know who this aura belonged to. However, now that Gabriel wasn't in the Empire, she couldn't let anything happen to that place. At the same time, she was also glad that Gabriel wasn't there. Even if the person was strong and came for Gabriel, he was going to be disappointed!

Avilia disappeared as she went back to the Royal City of Arecia.

Back in the Royal City, Litvia was still guarding the Garden of Legacy. Even though she couldn't find anything out of place in the garden, she still made sure that no one could enter that place to mess with it.

She also felt a similar aura. She didn't even have to guess who it belonged to, as she saw a Majestic Door appear right outside the garden!

The door was bigger than the door from which they entered. It was evident that someone stronger than them was coming... Probably even the High Envoy who was multiple times stronger than them!

Their entrance doors could directly appear at the hearts of the City! No barrier was able to block them, unlike the doors of entry for ordinary envoys that appeared outside the barriers most of the time.

While they personally had to break the barriers to travel further at times, the High Envoys didn't have that problem.

The majestic door from the Temple of Time opened and two people stepped out.

In the back was Ozen who had gone back to inform the higher ups about what they experienced so that they could deal with the matters personally!

In the front was the one leading the mission. Seeing that person, even Litvia was stunned. It was a young man, who looked like he was barely ten years old. The man was bare handed. However, there was a red gem around his neck.

The gem was smaller than their time crystals. However, the young boy's gem contained a thousand times more power of time!

Litvia wasn't surprised at the young boy's age though. She had already seen that young boy in the Temple many times! What stunned her more was that the Temple of Time sent this person!

She thought they would only send a High Envoy! However, the person they sent was the second in command in the Temple of Time... A being who had lived for over a thousand years!

While others used their life energy when they used their time crystals, growing older with each use. The young man before them was different. The more he used his powers, the younger he became!

Everyone in the temple of Time knew that there were two people they could never offend! First was the Leader of the Temple while the second was this young-looking boy before them!

"Is this the place?"

The young boy had no emotions on his face. It was as if he was no more than an emotionless statue.

Litvia nodded respectfully. "Yes, High Lord. This is the place where the entrance of that Castle appeared! However, the entrance was destroyed by a Holy Lord."

The man raised his brows, looking at the woman before him. "No wonder you're still just an envoy. Your observation skills and judgment are pathetic."

The boy didn't even care about insulting the woman right before her eyes. He also did it without much reaction on his face, as if he expected them to disappoint him before he even came here.

"High Lord, please guide me! What did I miss?" Litvia felt somewhat hurt since she was insulted. However, she was even more curious about what she missed.

"That place is Karyk's castle. Do you think that place and its portal could be destroyed by a Holy Lord with some clone staffs? Even real gods would've had a hard time trying to destroy that place."

The boy had just come here. However, he already guessed a few things. It was impossible for things to have progressed as these people said. If anything, the truth was that these two were fooled.

"This..." Litvia found herself unable to respond. She didn't even think about this before. However, now that the Holy Lord told her personally, she realized how wrong she was. She really missed a great detail!

The Dark Robed man couldn't be killed even by them. So how did Gabriel manage to hold him back all alone while destroying the portal? It didn't make sense now that she thought about it clearly.

The woman could only blame herself. However the boy didn't care.

He simply raised his right hand.

The beautiful red gem around his chest shone brightly as a portal appeared before him! However, the portal wasn't something that could be used to travel! Instead, it was something that could be used to see the past events that happened at a place!

The farther one tried to look in the past, the more strength it took. Fortunately, the young boy was only looking back by a few days so it didn't matter.

Litvia and Ozen stepped behind him, looking in the portal as well which started playing some scenes of the past.

Through the portal, they saw an empty garden where Gabriel was standing in the center.

There were some special stones placed in four corners of the garden. Moreover, Gabriel placed a black book in the center.

"The Book of Death." For the first time, the young boy's expression changed. However, it lasted only for a brief moment before he returned to normal.

"It looks like he really is back... That bastardā€¦"

The scene showed how Gabriel opened the Garden of Legacy with the Book of Death as the true key, before entering the place.

The scene changed and showed two people coming out of the place. One was a dark robed man while the other was a figure clad in the brightest of light which made it impossible for anyone to see his face.

However, it was different for the young man. No disguise had any effect on him, especially ones like that.

His eyes could see through the barrier of light and what he saw made him frown! Inside the barrier of light, there was none other than Gabriel!

"He can use Light as well?"

undefinedHis focus shifted to the man who was dressed in black cloak. "Alion... Of course he would come out as well, after hiding for so long. I should've guessed this already! These two really..."

Through the portal, the two Envoys behind the young boy also saw the true face of the man in black robe along with the face of the Holy Lord of Light! Their faces were filled with shock while anger rose in their hearts!

Not only did they fail to guess the truth, but they couldn't even find the Lord of Death who was standing right next to them all this time!

Litvia clenched her fist, feeling a rage deep in her heart that made her tremble. She was truly an idiot! If it wasn't for the High Lord of Temple of Time, she would never have known!

"That guy is really good! He managed to fool the other Holy Lords as well!" Ozen muttered under his breath. "However, this is the end of it. Now that we know who he is, it's only a matter of time before he dies!"

"It's time for the Temple of Time to appear in full strength and take back what belongs to us!" Litvia also agreed.

However, the young boy didn't say anything. He kept looking at the screen, frowning.

He was sure that Gabriel was Karyk! However, something was also different about his personality! From what he knew about Karyk... That guy would never scheme like that! Karyk always used his strength to bury all resistance against him!

If it was the usual Karyk, both his envoys would've died along with the Holy Lords. However, that didn't happen. Instead, Gabriel used another method to deal with the matters. If it wasn't for him, no one would've known either.

"Just what is he scheming this time?" The young boy kept looking through the various scenes.

He already knew that Alion was acting. He was pretending to fight with the Holy Lords and his envoys. He couldn't help but look back at his two Envoys. He thought they were idiots but they were bigger than just idiots! They couldn't even see through such cringe and obvious acting!

The young boy felt like killing the two boys with a single slap from his hands for just how stupid these two were. However, he controlled his anger.

When the two Envoys the young boy looking back at him, they felt a chill run down their spine. Their entire back was soaked in sweat. They didn't know if they were imagining things, but they thought that they saw some killing intent in the young boy's eyes.

Fortunately, the young boy didn't look at them for long. He turned around and focused back on the scenes that were playing in the front.

"Hmm? That crazy girl is here as well? With how much she hates Alion, no wonder she came here."

However what he saw next made him go blank! Not only did these idiots not allow the little girl to fight Alion, but they instead thought she was his ally and blocked her, giving Alion an opportunity to leave?!

It's been a long time since he felt such anger. He even started having a headache.

He rubbed his forehead, as if messaging it. "Where is that little girl now?"

"In the Royal Palace with..."

"With the Lord of Death?" The boy finished the sentence as he saw the end of the battle and the little girl leaving with the man who pretended to be the Holy Priest of Light.

The portal before the young boy disappeared. The red gem also stopped shining. However, it wasn't long before the young boy sent a message to the Temple of Time.

No matter how much of an idiot these two Envoys were, it was true that Karyk had returned. With his return, they also had hopes of retrieving the Orbs of Time!

They already knew where one Orb of Time was. As for the second, it was clearly on Gabriel! It was finally time for them to get to work and desk with the 'thief' who stole from them!

Just after sending the message, the young boy disappeared. The next moment, he appeared in front of the Royal Castle of Arecia.

His face was still expressionless as he looked at the castle in front of him. The castle didn't look anything out of place. Even though he sensed the presence of a Mage of Darkness, he didn't care. The only thing that mattered to him was Karyk. Unfortunately, he couldn't feel that guy's presence inside the castle.

Frowning, he disappeared again.

Around fifty miles away, there was a person looking straight at the Royal Castle and the young boy who was standing in the front. It was none other than Avilia.

She had thought that someone strong from the Temple of Time had arrived. However, she realized that it was much worse than she imagined.

The aura that she sensed when the young boy used his red crystal was not close to the aura of Jia. Instead, it was much stronger! As if he could swallow the entire world in his aura if he wanted!

It was clear that the man held one of the highest positions in the Temple of Time. That also meant his arrival at this place signaled a disaster. He was after Gabriel!

"Looked enough?"

While Avilia was thinking about what to do next, she felt a cold yet emotionless voice coming from right behind her.

She turned around, only to be stunned that the young boy was standing right behind her! Not only did he find her, but he also came here personally!

"I was just curious. I was nearby when I felt your aura and came to check," Avilia responded, giving an excuse as to why she was looking at the boy. It was already clear that she had been caught.

[Author Announcement 1/3/2023: I've released a book that will take part in the WSA 23 competition. The book is titled "Eternal Villain"... A story about a person destined to be the greatest villain. The main character is blessed (Or Cursed) with a book that can grant any of his wish that he writes on it, but also at an equivalent if not worse cost!

You can find it by searching the title on Webnovel directly.

Even though it has only two chapters for now, if possible, please read the book and give your valuable feedback. If you like it, don't forget to add it to your library. I am sure you won't be disappointed :)]

...

"Finally we are out of that place!"

A relieved sigh of Jia came from behind. She finally saw the end of that barren crack-filled land.

She had been walking for a long time. In fact, she had already started to lose hope about ever being able to leave this place. It was as if there was no end to that barren land.

Fortunately, after hours of walking, she finally saw the terrain change in the distance.

undefinedThe new terrain was still as lifeless as before, but it was much better than the barren land as she could see some houses spread around sparsely. The land also didn't have cracks the size of fists like the barren land.

"Wear it." Gabriel's face was still as calm and composed as before. He brought out two sets of robes and tossed them to the two people behind him.

It was clear that he was signaling them to wear the robes to hide their identity.

"Now I have a general idea as to where we currently are. I'll send a map to your mind. It's time we separate and start working on the plan."

After Alion and Jia wore the robes, Gabriel turned around. He placed his fingers on Alion's forehead, giving him the knowledge about what routes to take from here.

Jia was already informed about the plan and knew that Gabriel wasn't going to travel with them. He didn't bring them here to use them like a shield either, unlike her earlier expectations. In fact, with time, she had only realized that they were too weak to even be a shield!

In reality, the shield was Gabriel himself! The reason he told them that they weren't going to come across the Blood Clan or the Nether Beast Clan was because those two clans were going to be chasing after him!

"Are you sure about this plan? It might look feasible, but it's really dangerous," Alion frowned, not leaving yet.

"That's right. You want to draw everyone's attention to yourself, leaving the Soul Region unprotected. That might be good for us to sneak inside without any trouble and save the ones you want to save. However, it won't be easy for you." Jia agreed with Alion.

She knew that Gabriel was strong now that he had awakened all his past memories but after hearing about the forces of the Nether Realm that could even make her Lord of Upper Realm hesitate to enter this place, she wasn't sure if even Gabriel could pull it off.

Unlike her and Alion, Gabriel looked completely unconcerned.

"Don't worry about me. There are still other things I need to do. You can leave. And make sure to follow the plan. As soon as you save the two souls, leave this place. I'll leave when I'm done. So don't wait."

Gabriel didn't explain much. He calmly walked away with his hands behind his back.

No one could see what he was truly thinking. Alion and Jia also didn't understand if he really wanted to risk his life to save two people!

They didn't realize that saving Cylix and Novius might've been one of the reasons for Gabriel to come to this place, but that wasn't all. There was another reason which no one knew about.

Before long, Gabriel disappeared into the distance. His speed was much faster than Alion and Jia. It was as if he was moving more than the wind which could go anywhere instantly.

Alion remained standing in silence. After a long time, he sighed. "He never tells me what he truly thinks. Whatever, I'll trust you like always."

"Let's go." He tapped Jia's shoulders lightly. They were not as strong as Gabriel so they couldn't afford to be as high profile as the God of Death.

In fact, they had to travel without letting others know that there were more outsiders than one. Otherwise, the distraction wasn't going to work.

Fortunately, the robes provided by Gabriel helped a lot. Unless they were really close to beings of the Nether Realm, no one could realize that they were outsiders.

Unlike Jia and Alion, Gabriel didn't move in a low profile. Let alone using a cloak to hide himself, he traveled more openly, as if he was taking a walk in his garden. There was no intention for him to hide himself.

Along the way, many people from the Nether Realm saw him. Most of them didn't recognise him since they hadn't lived long enough. However, it was clear to them at first glance that Gabriel wasn't from this place!

Many even decided to kill the outsider after finding him. However, there were some who did recognise Gabriel... And what they remembered made them tremble. Their faces went pale, as if they were looking at a grim reaper.

They were the ones who were here a thousand years ago when Gabriel last came here! In fact, they were also like the others who had attacked Gabriel right away. However, things didn't progress as they would've imagined!

That was the time when they saw how cruel Gabriel could be! The entire area was painted red in blood. The ones who remembered the past could still feel the bone-chilling fear that originated straight from their soul!

This was a similar fear that they felt whenever they saw the higher ups of the Three Great Clans of the Nether Realm.

They were much weaker than the ones in the core region. That's why they lived in the outer layer of the Nether Realm. They neither possessed the strength to resist Gabriel, nor the courage!

They knew they would only be seeking death if they even tried.

The ones who knew about Gabriel hastily stopped the others from attacking Gabriel out of fear of offending him. In fact, it was much better to secretly inform the three great clans about this, than to personally get involved!

The others were surprised to hear about Gabriel's past. They didn't even believe that the man who looked so young could've been so scary. However, they didn't insist on attacking him anymore. They couldn't take risks.

Finally, everyone in the outer layer dropped the idea of attacking Gabriel, letting him progress.

At the same time, they also sent one of their own secretly to inform the Three Great Clans about the arrival of an outsider from the past!

Gabriel was walking in the distance, seemingly in no hurry. He already knew what was happening in his surroundings but he paid no attention to them.

Instead, it looked more as if he was trying to find something in the outer layer

The Nether Realm... A Realm that was much bigger than earth was so vast that just the area covered by the outer layer was twice the size of Earth's total area!

It wasn't easy to go from one later to another layer as it was equal to traveling circling the entire earth!

Fortunately, the beings in the Nether Realm weren't backward. Despite the absence of spiritual energy, they had found a way to increase the speed of travel between places.

They couldn't use spirit formations that ran on spiritual stones since they were useless here. It was precisely because of that, they found another way! Using the undead!

There was an undead species that could use teleportation, without magic! The species was mentally weak, but had strong mastery of spatial concepts.

undefinedIn the world, every important place had a few people from the Undead Clan who could use teleport to other locations.

Whenever someone had anything urgent, they could ask the Undead Clan for their help in travel. However, helping or not helping depended entirely on the will of the Undead Clan.

Most ordinary people didn't even have authority to ask for the Undead Clan's help in travel until it was a matter of life and death of the Nether Realm.

Once a person was found to be lying, or exaggerating to use the Undead Clan, they were killed swiftly. That's why, even when it was important, many people still hesitated and preferred slower travel!

Only the higher ups from the Blood Clan and the Nether Beast Clan could use the Undead Clan for teleportations whenever they wanted. It was a deal between the three clans.

Unfortunately, no one realized that at the moment, there was something big happening in the outer layer.

The Ghost City was one of the biggest and most influential cities in the outer layer of the Nether Realm. Even though the outer layer was called the most useless land in the Nether Realm, people from the three great clans could often be seen in the Ghost City.

Even though the three great clans had many deals between them, that didn't mean there wasn't conflict between them. The youngsters of the three great clans could often be seen fighting each other, right in the city itself.

No one even dared to stop them, in fear of offending the great powers behind them! The three Great Clans were the undisputed overlords of the Nether Realm after all.

Even though the Nether Beast Clan and the Undead Clan weren't as strong as the Blood Clan, their strengths weren't to be underestimated either as no one truly knew just what the true depths of the two great clans were.

They never revealed their true strengths after all. That's why, no one dared to underestimate them. There were even some rumors that the Nether Beast Clan had a true dragon hiding inside the clan!

Obviously, the Nether Beast Clan never acknowledged the rumor. However, that didn't mean it was a lie either. As for the Undead Clan... They were the most mysterious out of the three since they were truly born from the chaos and deaths in the Battlefield!

At that moment, two people stood at the entrance of the Ghost City. Both those people were wearing a cloak that was covering their faces. However, that didn't hide their heights. It was evident that one of them was a child while the other was an adult!

Nothing seemed out of place about their aura, as if they were ordinary people of the outer layer.

"According to him, this is the place." The taller person amongst the two said. He was none other than Alion. After a long and arduous trip, he had finally managed to reach this place with Jia.

What was fortunate was that there were no problems along the way. They stayed away from the people in the outer layer throughout their trip. They only stopped for a short period to confirm directions from the others.

As they still hadn't used their Spiritual Strength at all, they still had their complete strength. They were just a little exhausted from the long journey.

"The Nether Realm is almost as big as the upper realm. However, without the spiritual aura, it is not easy to travel."

Jia had spent a long time in the Upper Realm and she had gotten used to the convenience of flying to their destination, or just using teleportation portals without any troubles. However, this place was much different.

It was like they had traveled from the modern area to the times where magic had yet to evolve.

"I don't think we can blame the people here for that. Without the spiritual aura, it's impossible to do anything. We also can't waste our limited strength in flying. We have to reserve it for emergencies. There's a long way ahead of us after all," Alion sighed, stepping inside the Ghost City.

When Jia used to chase him in the past, many people knew of the enmity between the two. However, none could've expected that there would be a time when the two would be walking side by side, talking like true allies.

"It's already very fortunate that the Undead Clan has someone who can take us to our destination," Alion responded, looking in a certain direction.

The Undead Clan branch was established in the center of the City along with the branches of the three other clans. That was also his current destination.

"I don't think the undead clan will help us, even if we pretend to be people from the Nether Realm. We really might need to take them down first." Jia reminded Alion.

If someone else from the ghost City were next to them to listen to their conversation, they would've been shocked. Someone was talking about taking down the mighty Undead Clan so casually, as if they really weren't scared of death. Unfortunately, no one heard the conversation between the two.

The Ghost City was huge. Even with so many people living in the city, it still appeared empty due to how big the City was.

Just the road in the middle of the city was over twenty meters wide. One thing that the Nether Realm didn't lack was its area after all.

Alion and Jia tried to avoid walking close to the others from the start.

Boom~

It hadn't been long since the two had entered the City when they heard a loud explosion in the distance.

They rushed over, only to find two people fighting with each other! One appeared to be a human while the other was a person with horns on his head and a light blue skin! It was just like how Gabriel described the beings from the Nether Beast Realm that they were told to avoid fighting if possible!

"Hahaha, is that all you can do?" Not too far from the young man of the Beast Clan, there stood a red haired man who appeared more like a human.

There was a blood-red halberd in the hands of the red haired human that he had used to push back the youngster from the Nether Beast Clan.

The red haired man's laughter had a tinge of arrogance which wasn't hidden from anyone.

Initially, people were stunned as to who could be stupid enough to offend the mighty Nether Beast Clan. However, as soon as they saw the red-haired man, they realized everything. Only people from the Blood Clan had strength and influence like that after all!

Standing in the distance, Alion was also somewhat intrigued. He hadn't expected to see people from the two clans so soon.

undefinedSince they were still in the outer region of the Nether Realm, it was clear that the two youngsters weren't from the main branch. They weren't as talented as the youngsters from the core clan otherwise, they wouldn't be sent to this place.

However, despite being the throwaways of the two mighty clans, their strength wasn't lacking at all. Both of them had some great skills of their own.

Seeing the strength of the two youngsters, Alion could only wonder just how strong youngsters in the Core Region of the Nether Realm could be. As for the elders and the leader of the clan, that was beyond imagination for the time being.

He finally understood just how hard it must've been for Gabriel last time he was here, being surrounded by Elders of the three great clans who came with the full strength of their clans behind them. To be able to leave even under that situation only showed just what level of strength Karyk had achieved at that time.

The battle between the two youngsters didn't end. It went on for far too long. Multiple buildings in the city were destroyed yet no one had the courage to intervene in the matters of the two clans.

Even the City Lord could only watch with an ugly expression on his face as he watched his city being destroyed. Fortunately, the City was massive and the damage these two could cause was limited. The destruction of a few buildings was bad enough but not as bad as it could've been if the ones fighting were the stronger ones from the three great clans!

If it were the two successors of the great clans that were fighting at the moment, the entire city might've been destroyed by now! He could only be optimistic and be grateful that the two clans didn't send their successors to this place.

After two hours, the sounds of explosions finally stopped. The battle seemingly came to an end. Moreover, no winner was decided. It was as if both of them had an equal level of strength. However, everyone knew that the two youngsters didn't use all they had in this fight.

No one knew why the two ended the battle so abruptly before they could even decide a winner. Some thought that it was because they realized they couldn't win since they were both equal. Others thought that it was because their clans told them to stop causing nuisance for no reason.

No matter what the reason, the fight stopped.

"Looks like I overestimated you, Awon," The Young Man from the Blood Clan sighed. "And here I thought, you might be able to force me to utilize all my strength. How boring."

"Xuwen, you really know how to talk nonsense. You can't even break my defense but you sure do know how to put up an act!" The young flood dragon scoffed.

He knew all too well that the young man before him was just saying that to maintain his dignity. Not only had he initiated the fight, but he was also unable to end it. Even with a draw, in his eyes, the young man from the Blood Clan had lost!

"Keep telling yourself that." Xuwen lazily responded before turning around. "I hope the next time, you'd be able to entertain me for longer."

"Don't worry. I'll go easier on you next time." Awon wasn't any less arrogant than Xuwen. His pride didn't allow him. "That way, you won't have to run away from a battle!"

The young man from the Blood Clan frowned as his lips twitched. However, he didn't react. He had received a message from the Blood Clan Branch in the Ghost City and was told to come back urgently.

He had no choice but to leave the battle in the middle.

The two youngsters didn't realize that their entire battle was watched by Alion and Jia. Jia was even itching for a battle. However, she didn't want to fight these two youngsters. Even though they were strong, they weren't worth her attention.

Fighting them was no different than wasting her limited energy for no reason. If possible, she wanted to one day fight the geniuses from the two clans and not some rejects.

"Let's get moving. We still need to find the Undead Clan and a way to use them." Alion left as well, followed by Jia.

While Jia and Alion were still trying to find a way to get to the undead who could teleport them, in another part of the Outer Region, something had already happened.

Rike was another important City in the outer Region, which also had the branch of the Undead Clan that was responsible for teleportation.

At the moment, many people in the city saw the Branch Members of the Blood Clan enter the Branch of the Undead Clan!

In fact, one of the people who entered the Undead Clan was none other than the Branch Head of the Blood Clan.

His face was dark at the moment. A trace of anxiousness and fear was clearly visible in his eyes. Hidden between all those emotions was anger.

No one noticed that in the group of the Blood Clan, there was also another person. Even though that man wasn't part of the Blood Clan, and was only a random citizen in the outer region, he was still in the group for some reason. Moreover, the Blood Clan members appeared to be protecting him.

The Branch Head of the Blood Clan was brought to the main hall of the Undead Clan Branch where the Undead Clan branch head was waiting for them.

While the Rike City Branch Head of the Blood Clan was full of vitality and looked like a great warrior, the Branch Head of the Undead Clan was quite different.

The Branch Head of the Undead Clan didn't even have a single trace of blood in his body. He was still a human but his body appeared to have decayed already. He didn't even have eyes, only empty eye sockets.

Despite having no eyes, it still appeared as if he was able to see through everything, including the secrets of heaven and earth!

"What brought you here?" The Undead Clan Branch Head's calm yet ancient-sounding voice was heard in the hall as soon as the Branch Head of the Blood Clan sat down.

"I need to go back to the Capital. I have some information that we need to directly convey to the Monarch," the burly dark haired man responded. "Time is of the essence. So I hope you won't waste our time."

"Even though you're the Branch Head of the Great Blood Clan, you still need to tell us the reason if you want us to send you to the Capital directly. These are the rules set by the Capital and our ancestors after the discussion between the three clans," the lifeless man responded.

undefinedThe dark haired man frowned, subtly glancing at the stranger that he brought with him. Since the rules were set in place, he had no intention of breaking them.

"It's something that concerns the Entire Capital, and the Undead Clan even more than us." After a long time, he responded calmly. No one noticed that even though he was calm, he was also somewhat anxious deep inside.

He was strong, but he wasn't as strong as the ones in the Capital. The information he received was too dangerous. If possible, he wanted to go back to the capital.

Not only could he convey this important information and get the rewards, but he could also stay much safer in the place, compared to staying in the outer layer with such great dangers looming over his head.

Hearing the intriguing words, the lifeless man raised his head. Even though he didn't respond directly, it was clear that he was pondering over the meaning of those words. Something that concerned them? Now he wanted to know more about it.

"Speak." The lifeless man nodded.

"So you still remember what happened about a thousand years ago?"the Dark Haired man asked. The younger generation might've forgotten the terror of that time, but the ones from the older generation like them still remembered.

Even though Gabriel had underplayed what he did in the past in the Nether Realm before Alion and Jia, only the ones from the Nether Realm knew just what kind of terror that period of time had brought to them!

They had used all the forces of the Three Great Clans and the other minor clans to kill Karyk. They thought that Karyk was going to die easily. Unfortunately, the reality proved to be much different.

Not only did Karyk not die, but he inflicted so many losses over the three great clans! At the moment, the Nether Realm didn't hate anyone more than Karyk! In fact, they hated Karyk more than they hated the people from the Upper Realm.

"Who can forget? That reaper appeared in the Nether Realm," the lifeless man responded. "But what about that? Isn't he already dead?"

After Karyk had escaped the Nether Realm, the Nether Emperor had sent some people outside to find out more about Karyk. However, the information they received after that put them at ease. They came to know that Karyk was already dead. He was killed by the Warriors of the Upper Realm.

Since Karyk was already dead for them, the Nether Realm also didn't do anything more.

The old man just didn't understand why the Branch Head of the Blood Clan would suddenly talk about that period of time out of nowhere.

"He's not dead." The dark haired man sighed, hiding the terror in his eyes. He had seen what Gabriel was capable of with his own eyes after all. He was still a kid at that time, so that gruesome scenery affected him a lot. He could still remember that day, as if it was just like yesterday!

That was the day where the entire Nether Realm came to a halt! In fact, if the Nether Emperor and the leaders of the three great clans hadn't personally arrived to stop Karyk, he believed the entire Nether Realm would've been wiped out!

The Nether Emperor was no less than the Overlord of the Upper Realm. However, despite him personally taking action, Gabriel still managed to escape. That was the only time the Nether Emperor had failed to kill a person right before his eyes!

That was also the first time the Nether Emperor had suffered such a loss!

The current generation in the Nether Realm had no idea about that period of time. All mentions of that time were erased from the books. There was no mention of Karyk anywhere. Only the older generation still remembered that!

The three great clans personally made sure that no one would write about that battle, completely erasing it from the history of the Nether Realm!

"He's not dead?!" The lifeless man also couldn't remain calm. He subconsciously stood up in shock. "That's impossible! He was killed by the Upper Realm! How could he still be alive?"

"I don't want to believe it either. Do you think I want to see that Demon again?" The Dark Haired man sighed.

Most of the time, the man was arrogant and confident in his own abilities. He was the Branch Head of the Great Blood Clan after all, even if it was in the Branch in the Outer Region. However, it was the first time he had shown such expressions.

"Tell him what you saw." He gestured for the man who was escorted by them to speak.

The man took a deep breath. It was his first time being face to face with higher ups of the three great clans.

He didn't dare to hide anything and told them how he saw Gabriel passing through the outer region leisurely.

He also talked about having seen Gabriel in the past, about a thousand years ago to convince them that he couldn't be mistaken about this! The person he saw was the same as the one about a thousand years ago!. Even their auras, the expressions and the clothes were similar.

"This..." The lifeless man was also stunned for words. He didn't have time to doubt the words of the man. If it was true, they had to inform the capital right away! Or they couldn't afford the consequences.

"I'll go to the Capital with you as well! We also need to inform the clan!" The lifeless man stated.

"No worries. The more the merrier." An amused voice echoed in the hallway.

What was strange was that the two branch heads hadn't spoken.

"Who dares speak when two elders are talking?!" The dark haired Branch Head of the Blood Clan roared arrogantly. He turned to the source of the voice.

However, as soon as he turned around, his face turned as white as a thin sheet of paper!

"Y-y-you!"

The lifeless man felt a chill run down his spine. His entire body could be seen clearly trembling as soon as he saw the person who had just spoken.

His first instinct was to leave everyone behind and just run.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he didn't think twice. He turned around and dashed away, finding the closest exit. Even if it was Karyk, he had faith that his people could delay him until he left.

No matter what, now that Karyk was personally here, he couldn't stay behind! Unlike the ignorant lich who was fooled by the people from the outer layer, he knew just what kind of terror this man was, much better!

The Branch Head of the Blood Clan had his face twist in regret as he saw the lifeless man run away. He didn't waste any time either.

undefined"Kill that bastard!" He exclaimed before he also dashed away. Now that he had personally seen Karyk, he didn't need any other witness either. He left his men behind to delay Karyk, along with the witness that he brought.

At the same time, he chased after the lifeless man! He knew that the lifeless man must've had a way to go to the Capital. He didn't think twice before following his only hope.

The dark haired man chased after the lifeless man, only to find the lifeless man standing still in the middle of the hallway, as if he was frozen.

He could even see the lifeless man's fists tremble slightly. For an undead like him, it was hard to imagine what could scare that man so much. The dark haired man thought of something and his face darkened.

He looked behind, only to freeze in place. There was not a single sound of fight behind him. Instead, the sight was completely gruesome. The entire hall was painted red, including the walls!

He didn't even hear a single scream before all of them were killed.

Moreover, Gabriel was missing! He finally understood why the lifeless man stopped in the middle of the hallway.

The dark haired man slowly stepped back, not daring to make a single noise.

"I came all the way to meet you, and you're not even willing to meet me?" Gabriel's calm yet composed voice echoed in the entire hallway, making the dark haired man stop where he stood.

"And here I thought, I was a good guest the last time I came here."

The Lifeless man stood before Gabriel. Even though he didn't have eyes, he could still see his surroundings. On Gabriel's face, there was a devilish grin that he hadn't shown when he was before Jia and Alion. It was as if Gabriel was a completely different person when he was hunting!

Everyone before him was nothing more than a prey who had no right to negotiate with him. He was the only existence that could stand above all!

The lifeless man didn't have any misconception about his strength. He knew that he was no more than a tiny ant before Gabriel, who called kill without any break, even when he was in the Nether Capital!

"L-lord, I won't dare." The lifeless man's voice could be heard trembling. Even though Gabriel didn't use anything special to suppress the Branch Head of the Undead Clan, just his presence alone was enough of a deterrent for them!

Even a thousand years of peace wasn't enough to wipe out the fear that he had carved deep in the hearts of all the beings of the Nether Realm! Let alone the Nether Realm, Gabriel was someone who even went to the Upper Realm and managed to come back alive even after killing so many people there! That was enough to show just how far his strength had progressed!

The Blood Clan was the overlord of the Nether Realm. The Branch Head of the Blood Clan had arrogance deeply ingrained in his bones. However, before Gabriel, even he didn't dare to make a single noise now.

He still remembered how he just commanded his men to kill Gabriel. His face was shifting between red and blue in regret. He knew that his men couldn't kill him.

However, he still said that since he wanted them to delay him with their lives! Who knew it was going to be completely useless! They couldn't even delay him for a single second!

The dark haired man really wished that he had a way to inform the Lord of the Blood Clan! Only the main forces of the Capital could stand against the demon before him. Unfortunately, there was no way to inform them! The path was blocked by Gabriel!

"What do you want? Why have you returned again?" The Dark Haired man clenched his fist, struggling to calm his heart.

If the arrogant youngsters of the Blood Clan would've seen him like this, it was unclear just what kind of reaction they would've shown. However, only the dark haired man knew how he managed to gather his courage to speak.

Gabriel raised his right hand. A strange pressure acted that seemingly grabbed the dark haired man. The mystical force pulled the dark haired man closer, releasing him when the man was right next to the lifeless man.

Now that the dark haired man was right next to the lifeless man, he was able to see Gabriel more clearly. He didn't know why, but Gabriel looked even younger than the last time he saw him.

If it wasn't for the identical aura, skills and personality, he would've wondered if the man standing behind him was really the same demon who came here thousand years ago or not.

"Why did I come here?" Gabriel repeated the question with an intrigued smile on his face. His devilish smile was enough to send a chill down the sounds of two branch heads. However, they didn't dare interrupt the young man before them.

Gabriel further continued, as he answered. "Let's just say that I was getting bored outside and thought about having some fun in the Nether Realm."

Hearing his answer, the two Branch Heads could feel their lips twitch. He was bored so he came here to kill? Just what kind of a reason was this?

They weren't stupid enough to believe Gabriel's every word. They even thought that he was here to take revenge for what happened about a thousand years ago.

"Anyway, I need a little lift. I wonder if you can be kind enough to take me to my destination?" Gabriel further asked, revealing the reason he came to this place.

The dark haired man remained silent, wondering if Gabriel wanted to go to the Capital. In that case, it was the start of a true nightmare since no one knew about his presence here yet!

If people knew that Gabriel was here, the dark haired man was still convinced that they would be prepared enough to face him. That way, the chances of Gabriel causing too much damage could be contained.

However, when no one knew what was coming, that was a disaster. He didn't even know how many lives could be lost. At the moment, he even wondered if Gabriel was here to save a soul like he came here a thousand years ago.

He wasn't stupid enough to think that Gabriel was going to let them live to inform others. There was no way their clans could know.

"Where do you want to go?" The lifeless man asked. Even though he was an undead, he still feared Gabriel since the man was similar to a reaper, having a soul container inside his body!

Once he killed someone, the souls couldn't escape either! They could only be swallowed by him, so there was no chance of ever returning, even in the form of an undead, unless he let them go out of his own free will!

undefinedIf possible, the lifeless man didn't want to be killed by Gabriel. It wasn't death that scared him, but what came after the death if he were to be killed by Gabriel.

However, despite that, he wasn't willing to betray his clan either. He knew that if he took Gabriel to the Capital, the risks were too big to ignore.

"The Forbidden Zone of the Nether Realm," Gabriel calmly answered. "The Battlefield of cursed Gods!"

As for his answer, it was completely unexpected! Not only the lifeless man, but even the Branch Head of the Great Blood Clan was stunned!

They both thought that Gabriel was going to go to the Capital. However, the reality was completely unexpected! The Forbidden Land was the most dangerous place in the Nether Realm! It was said that out of a hundred people that enter there, all hundred would die!

Only the Blood Clan leader was able to enter that place and leave safely! However, even he was cautious!

It was said that the Forbidden Land was a special place where true gods fought! It was also the place where a true God had died, which was the reason that destroyed this entire Realm, turning it into what it was today!

Just the aura of that place alone was corrosive enough to destroy a person's body and soul altogether!

Moreover, there weren't any Treasures in that place either. At least none that they knew about. So they couldn't understand why he wanted to go there. However, no matter what, this was still great news for them!

If Gabriel went to the Battlefield of the Cursed Gods, the chances of his death were incredibly high! What was even better was that the Forbidden Land was very far from the Capital!

It proved that Gabriel couldn't fool them, by having them take him to the forbidden land entrance, only to then turn around and enter the Capital! The Capital was safer!

"You really want to enter the Forbidden Land? You don't come here for revenge?" The dark haired man asked, still having some suspicions.

In response, Gabriel revealed an amused smile. "Revenge? Revenge for what? I killed millions of your clansmen while you couldn't even kill one... Me. Shouldn't you be the one asking for revenge?"

Hearing Gabriel's response, the dark haired man felt his face turn red in anger. However, he controlled his emotions. It was true that they couldn't kill Gabriel. The Blood Clan lost to make people in that war. However, Gabriel was only injured before he managed to escape!

What was a small injury in comparison to the lives of a million? He felt a strange emotion in his heart, seeing Gabriel insult his clan in such a manner. However, there was nothing he could do about it. At least not until he could send this news to his clan!

"I'll send you to the Forbidden Zone. However, you must promise me that you won't kill me," the lifeless man stated. "If you can't promise that, then I'll kill myself right here!"

"Only that? Sure. I won't kill you. Let alone you, I won't kill him either," Gabriel said, taking a subtle glance at the dark haired man.

It was unclear just why Gabriel agreed. However, both Branch Heads felt that something was amiss. They didn't know just what. Unfortunately, now that Gabriel agreed, they couldn't do anything about it.

The lifeless man escorted Gabriel to the secret basement in the Branch where there mysterious undead were standing.

All three of them were the existences of a special species that only existed in the Nether Realm! These undead had low intelligence but high loyalty. Moreover, only they could teleport with a group in the Nether Realm! They were also the reason the Undead Clan was so important amongst the three great clans!

If the Great Blood Clan was a sharp sword, then the Nether Beast Clan was an unbreakable shield while the Undead Clan was important passive support! All three clans were the foundation of the Nether Realm!

The lifeless man gestured for one of the three mysterious Undeads whose bodies were surrounded by a mysterious silver mist.

"Take the Lord to the entrance of the Forbidden Land!" The lifeless man commanded the mysterious silver skinned undead.

The silver skinned undead didn't react. Like a puppet, it stepped in the middle of the hall.

Even now, the lifeless man and the dark haired man were worried that Gabriel was going to turn around and attack them. However, Gabriel didn't care about them at all.

He didn't even glance back before he stepped in the middle of the hall as well, stopping right next to the silver skinned undead.

A mysterious spatial light surrounded the both of them before they disappeared from the room, surrounded by various spatial laws.

It was only after Gabriel disappeared that the two Branch Heads relaxed, sighing in relief. They didn't believe that Gabriel was really going to leave them alive. However, strangely enough, he did exactly that.

Unfortunately, the two Branch Heads didn't have much time to think about that. They had to go and inform the Clans in the Capital!

Even if Gabriel entered the Forbidden Land, they couldn't be convinced that he wasn't going to come out alive! They had to inform the three great clans so that the clans could send their armies to the forbidden land to make sure that Gabriel didn't come out alive, even if it meant emptying the entire Capital!

Another silver skinned being stepped forward and disappeared with the two Branch Heads!

In the middle of nowhere, spatial principles distorted, creating a disturbance. Two figures appeared, one being a young man while the other being something that looked more like a lifeless puppet than anything else.

Gabriel appeared at the entrance of the forbidden land. Last time he came to the Nether Realm, he wanted to visit this place. However, he didn't get the time because of all that happened in the past. Now that he was here, he couldn't help but be intrigued.

This place was definitely nothing like the places he saw before. Even after millions of years, he could still feel a strong aura of blood coming from the space ahead. It was as if this was the land of the blood!

Even though he was standing outside the entrance of the forbidden land, he could still feel the terrifying auras inside the forbidden land. It wasn't surprising that this place was called the Forbidden Land.

It was the ancient battlefield of gods, and also the plane where the Ancestor of the Nether Blood Clan received his inheritance. It was also a place of birth for the beings of the Nether Undead Clan!

undefinedAfter a brief glance at the Nether Battlefield, he glanced back at the undead who had accompanied him. In a place like the Nether Realm, an undead like him was extremely precious. Unfortunately, they were all controlled by the Undead Clan of Nether Realm.

Gabriel had seen them last time as well. However, he wasn't able to get so close to one. This was the first time he was so close to one, and that too, alone.

The undead was standing silently, completely unreactive. At times, its eyes showed child-like curiosity as it looked toward the Ancient Battlefield. However, he didn't ask anything.

"Want to come inside with me?" Gabriel asked.

He had two purposes in contacting the Undead Clan, revealing his whereabouts. One was that he wanted those old fossils in the Capital to know where he was. He wanted them to come to him! That's also why he selected a place that was far away from the Capital.

He was the biggest threat to the three great clans and he was sure that hated him the most. As long as even a single clue about his whereabouts was revealed, the three great clans were going to leave no stone unturned!

That's also what he wanted! Once the Three Great Clans came here with their full forces, the defenses of the Capital were certainly going to be at their weakest... This way, Gabriel not only created a distraction, but also weakened the capital to make things easier for Jia and Alion!

Even he knew that if he went to the Capital personally, the entire capital was going to be sealed by the three great clans. It would've been much harder to save Cylix and Novius!

That's why, he acted as the bait personally this time!

Another reason he went to the Undead Clan was specifically for the Undead who could use Spatial Principles without the use of spiritual energy. He knew how useful it could be in emergency cases!

He had various powerful Undeads in his army that had been sealed a thousand years ago. However, none of them could control space without spiritual energy. That's why he came here. He slowly wanted to gain control over the Undead next to him!

At the same time, there was also a third reason for him to come here that no one knew about! And it was precisely related to the Ancient Battlefield of the Nether Realm!

The silver-eyed undead glanced at Gabriel. There was no reason on his face, making it hard to even guess if he could understand what he said or not. However, his eyes weren't as lifeless anymore.

Gabriel smiled and didn't ask anyone. "Let's go inside. Those old fossils will take a long time to get here. In the meantime, we can get to work!"

Back in the Ghost City, no one knew what had happened in Reke City. The City was still somewhat peaceful after the battle between the two youngsters from the Beast Clan and the Nether Clan ended.

In the city, in front of the Undead Clan branch, there stood two people, gazing at the door ahead. They were Alion and Jia who had come here since they needed to borrow an undead to take them to the Capital secretly.

Unfortunately, they had to do it without creating too much commotion, which was the hardest part. They weren't really people from the Nether Realm, so they didn't know if they could be recognised by the Undead Clan, even despite the special cloaks that were given to them by Gabriel.

"You guard the entrance. I'll be going inside. Make sure no one enters." Alion carefully looked at both sides of the street, making sure it was empty before finally deciding to take action.

Since they couldn't let anyone know, that meant they couldn't allow anyone here to live! He had planned to enter the branch alone and assassinate everyone and take control of the place. He didn't want anyone to enter while he was doing his work.

Jia didn't argue either. She was very careful. It was much better for her to save her strength in this place after all. Since she relied on her strength, that exhausted her more as well.

It was easier for Alion to control his strength. While on the other hand, she was accustomed to full power blows. That was why she also believed that Alion was better for the precision tasks.

After Jia agreed, Alion passed through the door, directly entering the Undead Clan branch. Two sharp knives appeared in each of his hands as his face turned expressionless.

For the next half an hour, Jia remained outside the branch of the Undead Clan. No sounds came from inside the clan. However she knew that was for the best. It meant Alion wasn't caught yet, and the task was progressing smoothly.

What was even better was that no one came to the clan during this time, which made it easier for her!

People only came to the Undead Clan when they had to go to the Capital more or less. At other times, no one bothered the Undead Clan which made it easier for Alion and Jia.

After ten more minutes passed, the door of the Undead Clan opened. Hearing the sound of the door opening, Jia turned around.

She nodded in satisfaction as she saw Alion standing there, gesturing for her to quickly come in. It meant the task was complete and the branch was under their control!

Even as Alion went inside the Undead Clan Branch, killing people, he still looked completely flawless. There was not a single speck of dust on his clothes, let alone a drop of blood. It was as if he just went inside for a tea party and came out.

However, only he knew that it wasn't easy to assassinate the Undead Clan Branch Members. He had exhausted quite a lot of strength of his, which couldn't be recovered until he left the Nether Realm.

Fortunately, he conserved his strength as much as he could for the future, rarely using his abilities.

Jia entered the Undead Clan Branch. Both of them closed the door after entering.

"You took a long time." Jia stated, walking next to Alion. Bodies could be seen littered all around them, most of them being headless.

undefined"Were you worried about me?" Alion asked, rolling his eyes.

"I was worried indeed. I was worried that you would fail and I'd have to clean after your mess," Jia lazily answered. Even though the two worked together, they were still like fire and water.

"You? And cleaning up a mess? Aren't you the one who loves creating a mess instead?" Alion found her words to be quite amusing, as if the little girl didn't even have the slightest of self realization.

The little girl didn't answer. She knew that if she continued, she was only going to get more frustrated. She couldn't beat up Alion because she had to work together with him after all.

The two went to the basement of the Undead Clan Branch where the three Undeads were standing that could take them to the Capital.

Alion killed everyone but those three. Moreover, he also kept the Branch Head of the Clan alive since only that guy could command the Undead to teleport them to their destination.

Alion carried the Undead Clan Branch Head by his throat. Just a little more force and he could've killed him!

" Tell your pets to take us to the Capital, at some empty place. If you tried to trick us, or brought us to a place where someone saw us, believe it or not, your head would be rolling on the ground before you could even have a chance to beg."

The Undead Clan Branch Head felt his face twist. He had never expected that he would be treated like this one day. He had always been a dignified person who was treated with utmost respect in the Ghost City after all.

Unfortunately, he also didn't want to be killed. Since Alion managed to kill inside his branch undetected, that meant that Alion was at least stronger than him. He didn't want to take any risks and did as Alion said.

One of the three silver-eyed undead stepped forward like stone puppets. The spatial principles around them started twisting and turning, creating spatial chains that could break the boundaries of space.

After a few seconds, the Undead disappeared with Alion, Jia and the Branch Head who was still being held by his throat.

Deep inside the main castle of the Nether Blood Clan, a man was sitting on his knees, facing the person who sat on the throne before him!

The person on the throne was like a god in the Nether Realm! Generally, a measly branch head wasn't even allowed entry inside the castle. However, it was different now! That was because the Branch Head came with some information that couldn't be ignored!

He had come here as soon as he could after Gabriel left. He came straight here to inform the Overlord of the Blood Clan about seeing that calamity!

At the moment, there was complete silence in the main hall. People didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, worried that they were going to displease the man on the throne who was silently gazing at the Branch Head, as if he was able to peer through the depths of his soul, finding out all the secrets!

"After a thousand years, he once again came back... And here I thought he was dead..."

The man on the throne finally broke the silence. Even though he calmly spoke and his voice was neither too low, nor too loud, it was still enough to make everyone in the hall tremble inwardly.

"My Lord, even if he didn't die last time, isn't he still being too stupid by coming here? Is he really that courageous or is he just that stupid?" One of the men inside the hall stated! He was the only one who wasn't afraid of speaking out loud since he was the son of the Blood Clan Patriarch.

"Is he looking for death? Last time, he barely left with a single shred of his life. However he dares come again! Not only did he come here, but he also went straight to the Ancient Battlefield? Could it be that he's looking for something in the Ancient Battlefield?" He further asked.

The man on the throne frowned but he didn't say anything. It was as if he was still thinking about it. Even though he was stronger than Gabriel, if he wanted to kill Gabriel, it still wasn't easy. Gabriel had too many tricks according to him.

Even last time, when he personally took action, Gabriel just retreated! He wasn't able to kill Gabriel!

That had always been the biggest shame for him! However, when he thought about how Gabriel also managed to slip past the Leader of the Upper Realm, that made him feel a little better. He wasn't the only one who failed afterall.

Unfortunately, with Gabriel's return here, he couldn't help but turn serious. Most people would've thought that Gabriel had no chance of coming out of the Forbidden Region alive. However, he knew that it wasn't as simple as that.

Since Gabriel entered that place, he probably had some idea about what he was going to find! Moreover, he also couldn't help but wonder if the reason Gabriel went to the Forbidden Region was because he knew about the biggest secret of the Nether Blood Clan! That made him somewhat uncomfortable!

It didn't matter if Gabriel knew about that secret or not, he couldn't take the risk! He couldn't let Gabriel do as he pleased!

This time, instead of showing himself in the end to kill Gabriel, he decided to lead from the Front!

He told his clansmen to prepare for departure to the Forbidden Region! The matter was too big to ignore!

He wasn't the only one who was going to the Forbidden Region either! The other two great clans also managed to receive that news which shunned them. They also prepared to go to the Forbidden Region!

The Forbidden Land of the Nether Realm was spread as far as the eyes could see. Even Gabriel couldn't see the true end of the Forbidden Realm once he entered that place.

In fact, the Forbidden Land was as vast as a continent. The aura of death was prevalent in the air. It was as if the battlefield had basked in the blood of various living beings.

Even the ground that used to look ordinary once upon a time was now blood red, as if even the soul here was nothing more than dried up blood.

There were many valleys and ravines. It was clear that those valleys weren't naturally formed. Instead, they were the aftermath of the massive battle that took place here once upon a time!

The strength behind a single attack could be seen with the fact that even the weakest of such attacks had managed to leave behind a thousand meter deep valley in an otherwise plain area of the Nether Realm.

undefinedAs Gabriel was related to the Element to Death, he could also feel remnants of resentment of people who died here. Even the people of the Nether Realm or the Undead Clan couldn't sense it as much as he could.

The resentment of the remnant souls was also one of the reasons this place was more dangerous. It was something that could corrupt a person, making them lose their mind, only thinking about killing, as if the great war of the Nether Realm was still ongoing.

Fortunately, that kind of resentment had no effect on him. Not only did Gabriel manage to protect himself, but he also protected the Silver Eyed Undead next to him.

At the same time, he also kept sending some of his death aura inside the silver eyed Undead's body, slowly erasing his previous memories, so that he would forget everything he had to do with the Undead Clan of the Nether Realm.

The beings of the Nether Realm weren't in his control since they were born here and were obviously different from the other Undeads. However, there was still a way to control them and that's what Gabriel wanted to attempt.

The battlefield was so long that even Gabriel wondered how long he was going to take to get to the center of this place. Even the silver eyed Undead couldn't teleport in this place after all.

For some strange reason, along the way, Gabriel kept leaving a single drop of his blood on the ground every few meters. At times, it looked as if he was leaving a trail behind.

However, that was out of question since his blood kept being absorbed by the ground, leaving no trace. Gabriel also knew what was happening but he didn't stop.

His body was different from others. He didn't lack blood. He could replenish as much blood as he wanted, as long as he used a light bit of his spiritual strength.

Moreover, the blood that he left behind wasn't ordinary blood either. His blood drops were brimming with powerful magical energy that, although weaker than the blood of the beings who once fought here, was still much stronger than the others.

...

Seven days passed... Gabriel kept going deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Land, without resting.

Just as the various leaders of the Nether Realm had thought, the dangers of this place were limited for someone like Gabriel.

In the last seven days, Gabriel did face some strange monstrous beings that were born in the Forbidden Land but he was able to take care of them.

In seven days, he only exhausted ten percent of his total Spiritual Reserves, which couldn't be recovered until he left the Nether Realm. However, he didn't seem to care about that.

It was as if his goal was much bigger than anyone could imagine! Moreover, his current reserves were still enough for him to take care of the other matters in the Nether Realm.

"The Three Great Clans should already be inside the Forbidden Land. I wonder if Alion and Jia reached their destination yet."

Currently, Gabriel wasn't moving. Instead, he was facing the silver eyed Undead who was standing blankly before him.

The Silver Eyed Undead already had his entire consciousness and memories erased. He was ready for harvest!

Gabriel's hands were on the forehead of the Undead! The Book of Necromancy floated next to Gabriel. As for the page that was currently open, it was a long yet one of the most used spells of Gabriel... The Army of Undead.

After recovering his memories, it was the first time Gabriel was using this spell to turn an Undead into his servant! In fact, it wasn't wrong to say that after he promised to seal his army last time, this was the first time he was doing something like this!

The silver eyes of the Undead shone brightly as a strange unfamiliar aura rushed inside his body. Many Divine Chains appeared around his body before merging with the body of the Undead whose aura became even stronger!

The Undead also started changing! If previously, he was like a fool with no intelligence, then now he was completely different. His eyes revealed some intelligence, making him appear no different than a normal human.

His face was still pale and his body didn't have a single drop of blood. If it wasn't for that, it would've been hard for anyone to differentiate between him and an ordinary person!

A strange black mark appeared between the Undead's brows which was similar to the bleeding moon mark that Gabriel had carved on all his artifacts! It was the sign of his master!

Gabriel only had ninety percent of his energy reserves. However, this one spell alone exhausted almost twenty percent of his spiritual reserves, leaving him with only seventy percent now.

However, Gabriel didn't regret it. With his current plan, he didn't need to worry about it too much. He already had his mind set on something. Other than saving Cylix and Novius, that was the reason he came here as soon as he recovered his memories!

...

Not too far from the entrance of the Forbidden Land, thousands of battle ships had gathered, belonging to the three great clans!

At the moment, the people in the Nether Realm Capital were still wondering why the three great clans left with such massive forces. Who could be the enemy that made them so concerned? Unfortunately, no one knew about it. The three great clans also didn't spread the news.

It only made the people of the Capital feel that the enemy was very strong! They even wondered if the upper realm had finally attacked. Were their armies going to suffer losses this time?

Amongst thousands of warships at the entrance of the Forbidden Land, there were three that caught the most attention.

Not only were those three warships the biggest, but they were also carrying the most important people from Three Great Clans.

In the middle warship, there were the leaders of the Blood Clan with their Patriarch who had a cold look on his face. While the other two clans didn't know much about the secret of the Forbidden Land, how could he not know?

It wasn't wrong to say that half the reason his clan came into prominence was because of the inheritance that their ancestor received in the Forbidden Land.

That's why, they knew even more about this place than the others. It was also why the current Patriarch of the Blood Clan had such a grim expression on his face.

undefined"Is it really a coincidence that he entered that place? Or did he know about that...?"

If it was any other place, he wouldn't have come personally, even if it was Gabriel who came here. However, because of the Forbidden Land, he couldn't take things easy. He didn't want to mess everything up when they were so close to it!

He raised his voice, commanding his men to enter the Forbidden Land in search of Gabriel! The leaders from the Nether Beast Clan and the leaders from the Undead Clan also commanded their people!

At once, thousands of battleships entered the dangerous Forbidden Land in search of one person!

The new warriors from the three great clans knew that they were here to search for a person. However, they had no idea why all the mighty figures from their clans were so agitated because of one person!

Only the ancient beings who were present a thousand years ago knew what it was all about. However, even they didn't understand why the Blood Clan Patriarch personally came!

The other two great Nether Clans only sent their leaders. Their Patriarch didn't come personally either. They were still in seclusion. It was just the Blood Clan Patriarch who left his seclusion, even at the risk of a backlash to come to this place, as if he was worried about something!

...

Inside the Nether Realm Capital, Alion and Jia were sitting in a garden. Even though the outside world was lifeless, the Capital still looked like it was flourishing.

There were majestic buildings, and many intriguing structures that could be seen outside. They had even seen many fascinating statues, fountains in the middle of crossroads, and other such measures that made this place look no different than any ordinary City outside!

If it wasn't for the baleful aura and lack of a trace of spiritual strength in the air, even Alion would've wondered if he was still in the Nether Realm or accidentally left the place.

They had arrived at the Capital seven days ago. And they still weren't caught. No one even knew that there were two outsiders in this place.

They still had the Ghost City Branch Head of Undead Clan in their grasp. It was because of him that they found out so many things about the Capital.

In the last seven days, they also saw three great armies of the Nether Realm leaving the capital in majestic ancient battleships. Even if the others didn't know where they were going, Jia and Alion knew! It was clear that they were going for Gabriel!

That meant it was also time for them to take action! The Capital's defense was clearly at their weakest! It was the perfect opportunity for them to take advantage! Moreover, with the Undead Clan Branch Head, their chances were much higher.

Even though the Undead Clan Branch Head wasn't as strong or influential as the Undead Clan members from the capital, he still had his own advantages!

Not only was he knowledgeable about the Nether Realm Capital, but he also knew about the Soul Land of the Nether Realm Capital where all the souls were imprisoned!

It was said that the Soul Land was the holy ground of the Undead Clan! It was directly connected to the sea of reincarnation! It was also one of the few Soul Lands that were spread throughout the universe!

Whenever a person died, their souls were sent to one of the Soul Lands where their souls were erased... Or rather, their entire personality and memories were destroyed, leaving only the purest form of soul energy that was then sent into the sea of reincarnation!

This soul energy was then used to keep the balance of the universe. Soul land played an impossible role in maintaining the universe!

In fact, what others didn't know was that Gabriel also had a Soul Land inside his body! It was his personal Soul Land which was no smaller than the other Soul Lands.

The only difference was that the souls that went to his Soul Land didn't have a chance of reincarnation ever! It was only when Gabriel increased his control over the Element of Death that he formed this Soul Land!

When he woke up as the god of death for the first time, he had no control over his soul land. In fact, his body absorbed the souls of millions of beings at that time to strengthen him and he couldn't control it!

Amongst those souls, there were also souls of his family members. At that time, he thought that everything was over. However, it was only later that he realized that there was one soul that wasn't completely destroyed by him!

It was the Soul of his sister which split in two for some reason. One of the two entered his Soul Land, getting destroyed! As for the other, it couldn't remain intact because of being split into two!

The other half of his sister's soul split into thousands of fragments, accidentally entering the Soul Land of the Nether Realm!

It was also because of that, Gabriel was able to save his sister... Or at least save half her soul.

He saved the soul fragments from the Nether Realm Soul Land. Used the stone received from the Goddess of Light to nourish the soul Fragments for thousands of years, healing it to some extent.

Unfortunately, since half his sister's soul was already destroyed, even when the other half of her soul was healed, she still didn't have any memories. It was as if she was herself, yet at the same time she was someone else!

In fact, it was also the reason Gabriel created the Grimoire of Death that was connected to him! Others thought it was a way for him to strengthen himself, which prompted other gods to create Grimoires as well.

However, only Gabriel knew that it was something else. His Grimoire was a safety precaution!

It worked like a terminal between his Soul Land this world. Instead of souls going directly to his Soul Land and becoming his strength, they went to the Grimoire and were kept there!

This way, he could decide which souls to absorb and which to keep for other things!

Only he knew this secret though. Even Alion had no idea about his reason behind creating the Grimoire!

The Soul Land of the Nether Realm was guarded by the Undead Clan. However, even the Undead Clan didn't dare enter that place easily. They only guarded the parameters of the Soul Land.

In the last seven days, Alion and Jia used their prisoner to arrange a place for them to stay under the radar.

Even though the Ghost City Branch Head lived in the outer layer, he was born and raised in the Capital so he knew many things about the Capital and had easily arranged for a place for them to stay.

Moreover, throughout the last few days, Alion and Jia spent most of their time, trying to observe the security mechanism of the City.

They weren't like Gabriel who didn't need to worry about such things. They couldn't just kill everyone who stood on their path like Karyk did last time. Instead, they had to be more careful. They weren't as strong as Karyk and they certainly didn't have vast spirit reserves like him.

undefinedBy now, they had a rough idea as to what kind of security they had to pass through. First, even though the City defense was weaker now, there were still many Guards that could often be seen patrolling the streets.

A little commotion and it was easy to attract the attention of the guards! It was even harder to trespass into the Soul Land.

The Undead Clan sent most of their people to the Forbidden Land after Gabriel. However, they didn't make any changes in the security of the Soul Land.

There were over hundred Undead Clansmen guarding the Soul Land. Moreover, amongst them, there were many Silver Eyed Undead who could teleport.

After getting a rough understanding of what they had to face, Jia and Alion were sitting in the garden, making a plan after making sure that they were here alone.

In his hand, Alion had a page. On the page, he made a circle which depicted the Soul Land area.

Around that circle, he marked the position of the guards with dots.

Amongst the hundred dots, there were four dots which he made darker! These were the positions of the Silver Eyed Undead.

"Before anything, we need to kill the Silver Eyed once. We can't allow anyone to escape with their help. After we take them out, it should be relatively easier."

Alion made sure that Jia paid attention to his plan. According to him, he was going to hide in the shadows and assassinate the Silver Eyed Undead to prevent any chaos. It was only after they killed the Silver Eyed Undead that Jia was supposed to enter the scene and use her abilities to kill the rest!

Even if Jia couldn't kill them all, she could at least hold them back for a short while. Without the silver eyed Undead, the other guards couldn't escape that easily.

It was clear that they were going to give it their all to kill Jia since she was only one person before them.

"In the meantime, I'll sneak inside the Soul Land," Alion exclaimed. "I've seen the people we are supposed to save. I should be able to save their souls."

"After I come out, I'll signal you and we'll retreat."

They had already captured the Branch Head of the Undead Clan. They also had a silver eyed Undead prepared for their escape!

It was a mission where they wanted to be swift. According to the plan they were told by Gabriel, after they saved the two souls, there was no need for them to stay in the Nether Realm!

They were supposed to simply go to the Outer Layer and leave where they came from! As for worrying about Gabriel, that wasn't for them to think about.

Gabriel already told them that he had a way to leave after he was done. Alion and Jia were somewhat suspicious but they didn't think too much about it.

"Two hours... We'll execute the plan after two hours. Make sure that there are no mistakes! Even though the defense of the City is weak, it's not something we can face. So we can't let anyone else know that the Soul Land was under attack!"

"Your role is most important in that! Make sure the battle isn't too loud and no one manages to get past you! If you fail, we might have to be buried here!"

Alion couldn't emphasize enough how dangerous this place was for them.

Back in the Forbidden Land, Gabriel had already gained control over the Silver Eyed Undead who had also managed to evolve and gain intelligence.

However, even under this intelligence, he knew that Gabriel was his absolute master! Even if he had to die, he couldn't betray Gabriel or let any harm come to him!

Fortunately, there was no need for him to worry about that. Gabriel led the Silver Eyed Undead deeper into the Forbidden Land. However, he still didn't stop leaving drops of his blood wherever he went.

The Silver-eyed Undead noticed his strange action. However, he couldn't understand why Gabriel was doing it. The silver eyed Undead didn't have blood in his body. However, he still knew how important blood was for the people who possessed it. Why was his master wasting his blood for no reason?

"Master, why are you doing that?" He couldn't help but ask.

He understood that Gabriel wasn't stupid. If there was no benefit, he wouldn't be doing that. Unfortunately, he couldn't understand the benefit, if there was any.

"You'll understand when the time comes," Gabriel calmly answered, seemingly not in any hurry to explain his reasoning.

He still hasn't completed his task yet after all.

Moreover, he already guessed that the army of three great clans had arrived after him. It wasn't going to be long before the army caught up with them since they were traveling on foot while the army would've brought their battleships.

However, Gabriel didn't worry. He could already feel that he was close to his destination!

In the Capital City of the Nether Realm, it was already the middle of the night.

A beautiful red moon could be seen high in the clear sky where not a single cloud could be seen. The night was beautiful yet many people couldn't help but feel somewhat restless. They didn't understand why they felt that way either.

Near the Soul Land, Alion and Jia had already taken action! While Jia waited at the entrance of the area that led to the Soul Land, Alion turned into a shadow and completely disappeared into the darkness of the night as if he was nothing but an illusion!

The Undead Clan was very different from the other two great clans. They didn't need to eat. They also didn't need to rest or sleep. Since their bodies were already dead, they could do without food.

In fact, they only absorbed the aura of death from the Nether Realm to survive. That's why, the Undead who protected the Soul Land didn't work in shifts. That didn't leave any gap in security since there was no need for shift changes, or the confusion it could've brought.

Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty two weeks a year, the same faces could be seen guarding the Soul Land. It also made the Undead more alert. That knew everything about this area and could instantly sense even the most minute of changes.

However, currently, even they couldn't sense anything wrong.

Alion moved like a ghost. Not only did he not make any noise, but he also merged with the wind, as if he and the wind were one, to make sure no one could detect him.

undefinedEven though he wasn't as strong as Gabriel, he had his own skills. To be able to survive for so long, even when so many people wanted to kill him, he had already honed his skills to the level of perfection.

He already had a rough idea about the position of the Silver Eyed Undead. Now all he had to do was kill the four of them without being detected and without making a noise. For that exact reason, he also brought a spatial treasure with him where he could store the bodies after killing them so the others couldn't notice.

The Silver Eyed already lacked intelligence which made it slightly easy for Alion.

It wasn't long before he located a silver eyes Undead. Since the silver eyed Undeads were important for the Undead Clan, they were kept in the back at some distance from the guards who stood at the front! As soon as Alion passed by the guards, everything else was much smoother.

He appeared silently behind one of the Silver Eyed Undead like a thousand year old ghost!

With his left hand, he closed the mouth of the silver haired undead while with his right hand, he stabbed his knife in his throat. The Silver Eyed Undead was stunned.

If he had his normal intelligence, he would've teleported away as soon as someone touched him. However, he wasn't that smart. Instead, he just trembled as he was killed.

As soon as he killed the Silver-eyed Undead, Alion kept the body in his treasure storage before disappearing in the darkness as if nothing happened!

The guards who stood in the front didn't hear anything strange. They just stood like statues, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that entering the Soul Land was going to make a loud noise, Alion could've already entered the Soul Land without being detected!

After killing a Silver-eyed Undead, Alion moved to his next Target. He followed the same method and killed his next Target as well. His Assassination Skills weren't something that one could ignore.

Within the next ten minutes, Alion successfully killed all four Silver Eyed Undeads. It was only after that, he sent a signal to Jia! It was time for her to move!

Jia was standing at the entrance of the area that led to the soul land. She was already starting to get somewhat bored, wondering when it was going to be her turn to take action.

It was only when she received the signal that the corners of her lips crept upwards, revealing a smirk.

"Finally."

She raised her sword. Her powerful aura covered the entire area! There was no need for her to wait anymore! Now all she had to do was attract all insects in her direction so that she could keep them busy, allowing Alion an opportunity to enter the Soul Land and save the two souls.

Feeling the unfamiliar aura, the Undeads who were guarding the Soul Land were stunned! This wasn't a place where others were allowed to come!

Some of them decided to send someone to inform their main clan. At the same time, the rest went to intercept the enemy!

It wasn't long before the Undeads realized that they couldn't send information back! The Silver Eyed Undeads were missing! Not even a single trace of theirs could be found! It was as if they had disappeared into thin air!

This made them realize that something wasn't right! The way to send information back went missing. Now the only path before them to send the information back was to take the long road and go back to the main clan physically!

However, the aura that they had felt before came from that direction exactly. It was clear that someone was blocking that path! Moreover, the aura was getting closer!

Over a hundred undead were alert at once. Someone was targeting the Soul Land and there was no doubt left in their minds!

All of them rushed toward the aura. No matter who it was, they couldn't allow them to enter the Soul Land! They had to kill the intruder!

They didn't realize that one of the intruders was already standing at the entrance of the Soul Land.

Alion came out of hiding, watching the Undeads go in Jia's direction. He still didn't enter the Soul Land, as if he was still waiting for something.

He had to wait for the battle between Jia and the Undead. He knew that once he entered the Soul Land, it was going to make some noise. He wanted that noise to be buried in the battle sounds of Jia!

In fact, he already told Jia what she had to do. Now all he had to do was wait.

He sighed deeply, glancing at the two blue stones in his hand. The two stones weren't as precious as the red stone received from the Goddess of Light.

They couldn't heal a soul that was broken into thousands of pieces. However, these step stones were enough to store an intact soul each, at least temporarily. This was also what Alion brought with him to save Novius and Cylix.

It wasn't long before the sound of battle resounded. Alion clenched his fist. It was finally time for him to enter the Soul Land!

He was slightly curious about what the Soul Land was like. However, more than that, he knew that he had to be careful since this place was dangerous. If he made a mistake, even escaping that place was going to be impossible.

His eyes flashed with determination as he finally stepped inside the Soul Land!

In the middle of the night, Alion rushed inside the Soul Land. However, as soon as he passed through the boundary of the Soul Land to enter it, he felt as if he had entered a completely new world.

The entire place was surrounded in a strange yet cold mist, that came up to his waist. The mist didn't make it difficult for him to locate where he was going. However, it made it impossible for him to see the ground!

It was even worse that the entire surrounding was so cold that it was making his soul tremble. He felt as if he was going to be frozen to death in the Soul Land if he wasn't fast!

The Soul Land was like a completely different world from the Nether Realm, despite being connected. Even the sky couldn't be seen in that place.

"It looks like it'll be harder to find the Souls than I initially thought."

undefinedDespite the unfamiliar surroundings, Alion kept moving forward, carefully taking each step so as to not fall since he couldn't see the ground.

He didn't want to accidentally fall off a cliff without even realizing it.

Fortunately, the ground was more or less normal. There weren't any cliffs so far... At least none that he fell into.

He could only occasionally hear cracking sounds with his footsteps, as if he was stepping on bones or skulls of people who had died here. However, he wasn't sure if it was actually bones or just his misconception. It was the first time he had to rely only on his senses instead of his eyes to move forward.

Back in the Forbidden Land, Gabriel had finally stopped walking. He finally reached the middle of the ancient battlefield, where true gods were said to have fallen.

In fact, one could only imagine the level of battle that took place. Even with his all, Gabriel didn't know if he could've survived a battle like that if he was there.

The level of battle was certainly beyond comprehension. If it wasn't, there was no way it would've changed the Nether Realm forever, completely eliminating Spiritual Elements from the atmosphere.

At the moment, he stood before a skeleton, observing it. However, the skeleton was so huge that it was impossible to see it entirely in a short time. The skeleton appeared to belong to a being who was at least ten thousand feet tall! Just a single bone in that skeleton was thicker than Gabriel's entire body.

Moreover, those bones were not ordinary either. Even though over a million years had passed since the Ancient Battle, the bones were still completely intact!

If it wasn't for the fact that the skeleton was impossible to move, the three great clans would've tried anything to take it with them, especially the Undead Clan.

The bones of the ancient being had many strange golden symbols that were brimming with power. Gabriel couldn't help but feel that those symbols were out of the ordinary. It was as if the mystery behind those symbols was the key to his evolution.

Even if he couldn't find the true origin of those symbols, he could still try to bring that ancient being back to life as an Undead after leaving the Nether Realm.

No matter what, he couldn't attempt that here. Even in the outside World, it was an almost impossible task, let alone this place where his strength was quite limited.

Fortunately, unlike the Three Great Clans, he didn't have to worry about how to move the skeleton. Even if others couldn't do it, it was easy for him, although somewhat exhausting.

He stepped a few meters back before raising his right hand. The Forbidden Book of Necromancy came out of his body. Its pages started flipping on their own until the last page was opened!

The Holy Grimoire floated high in the sky while the last page faced the skeleton! The page shone brightly, illuminating the entire skeleton with its bright light!

The strange golden symbols resisting the light of the Forbidden Book, as if they were something that defied the laws of space and were impossible to subdue. However, since the skeleton was large and there weren't too many such symbols, the resistance didn't last for long!

Even though it took half an hour and complete focus of Gabriel, the Skeleton did finally disappear, turning into small specks of light before entering Gabriel's Grimoire!

As the Skeleton disappeared, only a deep crater was left behind, which made it appear as if an asteroid had fallen to this place a long time ago.

Gabriel sat on the ground after succeeding. He couldn't help but feel exhausted. He had really underestimated the giant skeleton. Keeping the Skeleton in his Forbidden Book exhausted him almost as much as a World Level Spell should've exhausted him, leaving only a small reserve for him.

"This was harder than I expected."

He remained seated on the ground, calming his breath while looking at his left hand. He only had ten percent of his reserves left, which made him wonder if it was going to be enough.

However, in the end, he shook his head. "It looks like this won't be enough. Looks like I'll have to come to this Battlefield once again in the future to finish this matter..."

At best, he had thought that he would've been left with thirty or forty percent of his spiritual reserves. However, the strange symbols were really different. He had never seen them before, but he could feel the mystery behind them was extraordinary!

Moreover, he was also convinced that the skeleton also belonged to the ancient being who had chased the Blood Ancestor to this Battlefield!

The reason the Nether Realm was destroyed was that a True God called Blood Ancestor was chased to this place by other ancient beings. In the end, the Blood Ancestor died and passed his inheritance to the humans who became the Blood Clan in the future.

However, Gabriel was more than convinced that the death of the Blood Ancestor was more or less related to the ancient skeleton! It was the owner of the skeleton who truly fought with the Blood Ancestor. It was the aftermath of their battle that left the Nether Realm in ruins.

"If I'm not wrong, both the Blood Ancestor and the owner of that Skeleton died in that battle. The owner of the skeleton still had his skeleton left along with those symbols. As for the Blood Ancestor, only two blood drops of his were left behind in the ancient battlefield."

"One of those drops was taken by the Blood Clan. The second drop was absorbed by the battlefield... If only I can get that before I leaveā€¦"

Gabriel couldn't help but sigh. The ancient battlefield was a treasure trove. Not only did it have the Blood drop of a true god left behind, but it also had another secret which was the reason he actually came here.

Unfortunately, thanks to the Nether Realm's limitations and restrictions on his recovery, it seemed almost impossible for him to reach his destination.

"Looks like I can only stop here... And collect the rewards."

He stood up, patting his clothes. He could already see the shadows of some battleships in the distance.

Just as he had expected, they were already here, almost catching up to him.

undefinedGabriel's face didn't show even a single ripple of emotions, as if he had already expected that.

He glanced at the silver eyed Undead next to him, who he had already given a name.

"Dren, you wanted to know why I was leaving my blood drops behind?" he asked, revealing a calm smile. It was as if everything was within his expectations. "Let me show you the reason."

He took a deep breath before placing his hand on the ground!

For a moment, it was as if time had stopped! Gabriel's aura completely changed into what seemed like an aura storm!

If previously, he looked as if a calm yet approachable mage, then now he was like an unapproachable God, who looked down on every being in this world!

Dren couldn't help but feel as if this was the true personality of Gabriel... He was an Overlord! Even if he minced with ordinary mortals, deep within his bones, he was still a god!

Gabriel's eyes subtly changed color, turning into blood red. The black patterns that were covering more than half of his body started shining even more brightly, as if it was the eve of destruction!

This wasn't Gabriel anymore... This was the real Karyk, showing his might!

The entire Forbidden Land started trembling as if there was an earthquake!

Even the members of the Three Great Clans who were on the ancient battleships were stunned to see the ground tremble! They had never seen that strange phenomenon before... It was as if they were pushed into the ancient era.

Not only was the ground trembling, but they could also see thousands of cracks developing on the ground.

The cracks kept getting wider and wider. There was not a single person in the battleship who wasn't looking at the ground beneath in surprise. Even the Patriarch of the Blood Clan who personally came here was no different!

The cracks on the ground developed even further until there were thousands of meters long cracks on the ground everywhere!

Moreover,what was even worse was that the people from the Three Great Clans could see that the depths of the cracks on the ground was completely dark, yet there seemed to be some movements!

What happened next made many gasp in shock! Through the cracks, thousands of Undead rushed out!

Moreover, they weren't ordinary undead that were born in the ancient battlefield. Instead, they were the people of the three great clans who had died in the Ancient Battlefield in the past!

It was as if they had suddenly come back to life for no reason!

The Undead Clan was the most shocked since they felt that the Undeads on the ground were different! Not only the members of the three great clans had returned to life as Undead, but there were also some old corpses of ancient beasts that could fly that came back to life as well!

What was even more shocking was that a strange yet powerful pressure suddenly descended on the battleships that pulled the battle ships down to the ground, making them unable to fly!

When the three great clans were still in the air, they could easily avoid the hordes of Undeads except the ancient undead beasts that could fly in the air. However, now that the ships were unable to fly, they had no choice but to walk through the hordes of undead, killing them!

There was not a single person amongst the older generation of the three great clans that didn't realize who was behind this ambush!

Even though they knew it, they couldn't do anything but fight!

"You are controlling them?" Dren asked, slightly stunned. To see Gabriel control thousands of Undeads simply by using his blood, this was completely out of his expectations.

Especially since Gabriel was doing that when he was almost exhausted. It was as if he had already prepared for this moment as precaution as soon as he entered the forbidden battlefield.

Gabriel's face was slightly pale yet his aura was stable. As if he was just a little tired. Bringing all those Ancient Battleships down wasn't easy.

Back in the Soul Land, Alion was still moving deeper and deeper into the soul land. He was slightly curious about how Jia was faring in the battle.

His trip to the soul land took longer than he expected. In fact, he was supposed to have left by now but he hadn't even found Cylix and Novius yet.

Fortunately, during this time, he did reach the core region of the Soul Land. He could see thousands of strange black pillars all around him. Moreover, each of those pillars had a soul tied to it.

All those souls looked like they were going through great torment but they weren't able to even move, let alone free themselves.

Alion scratched the back of his head, frowning. Even though he had seen Novius and Cylix before, finding their soul amongst these tens of thousands of souls was much harder.

It was as if he was looking for a needle in a haystack. If he was lucky, he could find them on the first pillar he searched, and if he was lucky, he might've had to go through all those pillars one by one!

As for how long that was going to take, he didn't even want to imagine. He sighed deeply, preparing himself for a long night!

He turned into a shadow and finally began his search for the two souls amongst the tens of thousands of souls. He could only hope that Jia wasn't going to run out of her spiritual strength in the meantime.

If she couldn't find the Undead Guards back, then things were only going to go from bad to worse.

Sounds of battle resounded all around. Jia alone was facing over a hundred Undead Guards and holding them back. Whenever she had an opportunity, she didn't forget to deliver a killing strike.

However, she did try to avoid that. She had to hold everyone back and for that, she needed to reserve her strength. Even if she killed half the guards here and exhausted herself completely, that was useless.

She could also feel that she was going to be in trouble if Alion didn't return soon. It had already been over four hours!

Seven hours passed. Alion kept searching without stopping or even caring about his exhaustion. Unfortunately, he still hadn't found the souls of Cylix and Novius.

As more time passed, even Alion was starting to get worried. It's been close to eleven hours since he entered the Soul Land. He was getting worried about the outside, wondering if Jia was still holding on.

"Argh, just how long is it going to take! Why is my luck so bad?"

The longer it took, the more frustrated he became as his body flashed from place to place like lightning.

undefined"Wait, was that...?"

He abruptly stopped as his mind processed the scene that he saw before. Since he was moving so fast, he didn't have time to stop and think about each soul clearly. It was only when he moved past an area that he felt that he saw souls that looked similar to the two he was looking for!

He hastily moved back, appearing a hundred meters away.

His eyes gazed at two pillars before him, on which two souls were being imprisoned.

He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Even though it took longer than he expected, at least he still succeeded. His luck wasn't good but it wasn't bad either.

"Everything else should be easier." He brought two blue gems out of his pocket and placed both on the forehead of the two screaming souls.

As soon as the blue gems touched the souls, the souls stopped screaming. It was as if a calm yet gentle aura was nourishing them while protecting them from the eternal pain.

Not only did the gems protect the two souls, but they also absorbed the souls, sending them to a temporary Soul Land that Gabriel created inside those gems.

Since they moved from a soul land to another soul land, the resistance was also much lower, making it easier to free them from the two pillars!

The two gems floated in the air after absorbing the souls. Alion grabbed the two stones and kept them in his pocket before he disappeared, going back where he came from!

"I'll be back in half an hour, said that bastard!"

Jia's breathing was rushed. Her entire body was covered in sweat. She had been holding on for close to half a day, cursing Alion. In fact, she also knew that if she hadn't reserved her strength until now, she would've been in much bigger trouble by now.

However, it wasn't as if she was in any better situation now. She had exhausted almost all her Spiritual Strength. Now all she had was enough to escape and reach the exit of the Nether Realm.

Despite almost running out, she still held on, not backing away even as her shoulders bled.

"Alion, you bastard, if you don't come out in the next ten seconds, I'll rush inside and kill you personally!"

In the end, she couldn't control her temper and roared out loud. Even she didn't expect anything to change though. Not as if Alion could hear her inside the Soul Land.

"You can't even hold on for half a day?" A calm yet taunting voice came from behind not long after Jia issued her threat. "Looks like you've grown weaker in the last thousand years."

"You're finally back!" Jia didn't have time to get angry over the taunts. She was somewhat relieved that Alion had succeeded! Now they could execute the last part of the plan... The most important part! It was to... Run!

As soon as Alion came out, she turned around and disappeared. Alion also disappeared. Both of them had succeeded. Now they had to meet with the Branch Head of the Undead Clan who was under their control! Through that person, they could easily reach the Outer Layer of the Nether Realm, close to the exit!

The Undead Guards of the Soul Land were stunned to hear someone's voice behind them! They could also sense the aura of the Soul Land on the person! It was clear that the person had entered the Soul Land! They finally understood why the foolish girl was fighting them and not running away!

"She was a distraction!" One of the Undead Guards exclaimed.

Most of the guards stayed behind, not chasing after the girl. Even now, they couldn't leave the Soul Land unprotected, worrying that the two people were trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain by pretending to run away! Their first priority was to inform the main clan about what took place here!

Even though it was clear that they were going to get punished, they still had to do it!

Near the borders of the Capital, there was a small inconspicuous courtyard where the Undead Clan Branch Head was waiting.

He didn't want to work with the outsiders. However, he had no choice. He was planted with a soul devouring insect that was almost impossible to find in the Nether Realm. He didn't know where these outsiders found out, but because of it, he was now at their mercy! A single thought of Alion was enough to kill him!

At the moment, he wasn't even sure if Alion was going to leave him alive after escaping from the Nether Realm, or was he going to kill him to erase all evidence? He could only hope that he was going to be left alive.

While he was lost in thoughts about how today might be his last day if Alion came back alive from the Soul Land, two figures appeared behind him.

Sending the movements next to him, he turned around. His eyes widened slightly as he cursed his luck. These two were still alive! Even the Soul Land couldn't stop them.

"Stop wasting time. Take us to the exit!" Alion frowned, noticing the Branch Head look at him blankly.

They didn't want to stay in the city and wait for the lockdown. Before that happened, they had to escape!

The Branch Head of the Ghost City nodded. Now that it came to this, he could only pray for the best. He stood up and commanded the Silver Eyed Undead to take the three of them to the Lifeless Desert in the Outer Layer where the exit of the Nether Realm that connected to earth was placed!

The three people in the courtyard disappeared like ghosts, thanks to the Silver Eyed Undead.

As they left the Capital directly, they didn't realize that just a few seconds after they left, a dome-shaped majestic blood red barrier appeared around the Capital that enclosed the City! The entire city was under a lockdown!1

The entire Capital City of the Nether Realm was sealed! No one could teleport inside the city or teleport outside! It was almost impossible to sneak out!

The Undead Clan utilized all the members they had left in the city. The other two clans had no idea what the Undead Clan was doing.

It was only after they found out that an outsider had sneaked inside the city and the Soul Land did they react and send people as well!

No one was stupid enough to think that the outsider appeared at the same time as Gabriel! It was clear to see that the two sides were working together. It even made them feel as if Gabriel intentionally made them find out his whereabouts since he wanted to weaken the City and make them lower their guard!

Unfortunately, it was too late for the realization. They didn't have a single clue that the people they were trying to find had already left the City.

undefinedAt the same time, millions of miles away from the Capital City, four people appeared in the middle of a barrel of land. Amongst the four, two were undead.

"It should be the same place where we came from." Alion observed his surroundings, nodding. It was the same barren land with cracks everywhere and no signs of life!

"I did as you said and brought you here. Now get the Soul Devouring insect out of my body," the Branch Head of the Ghost City let out as he suspiciously glanced at Alion to see if he actually had a chance or not.

Alion didn't respond. He didn't have to lie to the Branch Head anymore. He was already at his destination. Moreover, it wasn't as if he ever planned to actually let him leave.

Alion wasn't merciful, especially when it came to their safety! Only the Undead Clan Branch Head and the silver eyed Undead were the ones who had seen his and Jia's face and were still alive!

He knew how petty these people could be. They were certainly going to try to kill them in the future. He didn't even want to let them know what they looked like.

He simply raised his right hand, placing it on the chest of the Undead Clan Branch Head, as if he was going to call out the Soul Devouring Insect.

The Undead Branch Head sighed in relief, feeling as if he was really left alive.

In fact, he was already planning on how to report everything to the main clan along with giving them the description of how these two looked like and their goals in coming here, so they could get revenge in the future.

While he was lost in thoughts, his face suddenly turned pale as he coughed out a mouthful of blood! Alion didn't bring out the Soul Devouring Insect! Instead, his hand had penetrated the Branch Head's chest, completely passing through.

The Branch Head coughed out a mouthful of blood at his lips parted in disbelief.

"Y...ou..."

Let alone freeing him, Alion personally killed him but he also used the Soul Devouring insect to destroy his soul!

The Branch Head's lifeless body dropped to the ground. Until the moment he died, he was in disbelief. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do.

After the Branch Head died, only the silver eyed Undead was left. Unfortunately, unlike Gabriel, Alion could neither command him nor control him. If he could, he had no reason to use the Branch Head!

In the end, he killed the Silver Eyed Undead as well.

"Let's leave."

After killing the two Undeads, he turned around. Even though there was no sense of direction in this lifeless desert, he still had a rough idea as to where the exit was.

As per Gabriel's instructions, he didn't wait for him.

While Alion and Jia left for the exit of the Nether Realm, in another part of the same desert, a small group was looking at everything in amazement!

The group of the Holy Priestess of Water Elora had also entered the Nether Realm, completely unaware just what kind of place this was.

There were no signs of life in this place. It was like a completely new world altogether which stunned even Elora.

They had been walking in the desert for over two days and they were yet to find a way out of this desert. Let alone find a way out of this place, they couldn't even find their way back anymore!

Their compass was also useless in this place since for them, there was not really any danger in this desert.

To them, it even felt as if this desert was all there was to this world and that there was nothing more to see here.

It was only after one more day passed that they finally felt that the terrain was changing! They were finally out of the desert!

On the other side, at around the same time, Alion and Jia also reached the exit. They passed through the exit, safely leaving the Nether Realm!

It was only after they stepped out of the Nether Realm that they sighed in relief!

The air wasn't as lifeless anymore and it was filled with Spiritual Elements that they could use to recover! They could finally regain their strength!

Both of them started greedily absorbing the Spiritual Aura from the air to recover their strength back to their peak, while also waiting for Gabriel to come out.

"Do you think we should go inside to help Gabriel after we recover?" Jia asked, glancing back at the stairs in the distance.

"It's impossible. After entering that place, we can't enter again that easily. Unless you want your soul to be corrupted, you can only pass through the door twice in a month."

"We've already passed through the door twice, once to enter and next to exit. For half a month, we couldn't go in even if we wanted to. Or we might even lose our own souls in the process," Alion replied, not going into too much detail.

In fact, if Gabriel hadn't told him, he wouldn't have known about that either.

For now, he could only wait here for half a month and hope that Gabriel could come out safely by then. If not, he would've had to enter again to see what happened.

...

A massive battle broke out in the Forbidden Land where thousands of Undeads rushed out of the ground, attacking the people from the three great clans!

Unfortunately, even those Undeads couldn't hold back the Patriarch of the Blood Clan.

In fact, the patriarch didn't even waste a single second in fighting the Undeads. He just passed through them like lightning. No undead could stop him!

As for his destination, it was none other than Gabriel!

The Patriarch of Blood Clan hadn't seen Gabriel. However, he knew that Gabriel was trying to delay them for some reason. Instead of falling into that trap, he left the others to deal with the Undeads while he, along with some other leaders of the three Great Clans, went deeper into the Forbidden Land.

They were sure that Gabriel wasn't far from them. For him to cast this spell, he had to be somewhere around there!

They were right as well. When Gabriel cast that spell, he was indeed there. Unfortunately, he didn't need to stay there once the spell was successful!

The only reason he used this spell was to delay the three great clans so he could leave. He was in no mood to fight currently. Not only did he not have enough strength, but also there were no benefits to it.

In the end, he simply decided to leave the Forbidden Land for the time being.

undefinedThe Patriarch of the Blood Clan looked for Gabriel all around, at least as far as he could. Unfortunately, this place was so vast that even for him, it was impossible to cover every place!

...

The armies of the three great clans had already finished dealing with the Undead that had suddenly appeared. After dealing with the Undead, they once again got back to the Ancient Battleships before going deeper to catch up with the leaders of the three great clans.

At around the same time, Gabriel had already left the Forbidden Land.

He stood outside the entrance, gazing back at the ancient battlefield. It was much harder to leave the battlefield than it was to move deeper.

While it took him over eleven days to get where he was, it took him only three days to return.

"If I hadn't exhausted myself in this place, maybe I could've dealt with everything. Unfortunately..."

From this distance, he couldn't even see the Ancient Battleships either. However, he was sure that they were probably still searching for him.

"Alion should've succeeded by now. I should go back."

He walked closer to Dren who used his spatial abilities to take Gabriel back to the lifeless desert. That was as far as he could go as well. From there, the exit gateway interfered in his abilities.

Gabriel and Dren could only walk to the exit together. Fortunately, the distance to cover wasn't long.

After only half a day, Gabriel reached the exit. This time, he believed that his trip to the Nether Realm was really fruitful, especially thanks to the mysterious skeleton.

He still had no idea just what mysteries remained behind those patterns on the skeleton bones but he wanted to research more.

...

"There's some movement." Alion stood up, sending spatial movements in the direction of the Nether Gate. "Someone is coming."

"Is it Gabriel?"

Jia also stood up and turned around, looking back curiously.

Just as the two were waiting, a figure came out from the Nether Gate. The person was a young man, who appeared as if he hadn't even turned twenty years old yet. However, from the aura and the expressions of the man, he didn't feel like a youngster at all.

The young man was accompanied by a silver eyed Undead who looked slightly different than the one Alion and Jia had accompanied! Somehow, the one who accompanied Alion looked like... It had intelligence. It didn't have blank eyes like the others that they had seen.

He was still devoid of any aura of life, but if that was to be ignored, he looked no different than any ordinary human!

Gabriel came down the stairs, gazing at Alion and Jia. From their expressions, he was convinced that they hadn't failed their mission. There was no disappointment or regret on their faces after all. What was even better was that they were completely unharmed...

"Did you succeed?" Despite knowing the answer, he still asked as he landed on the ground.

Alion brought two blue gems out of his pockets. "It was easy."

"Hmph, of course it was easy for you. You didn't have to hold back the Undead Guards for eleven hours straight." Jia rolled her eyes, mumbling under her breath.

Gabriel ignored her complaints, having a rough idea about what happened.

He took the two blue gems from Alion and observed them for a brief moment.

A strange emotion flickered in his eyes for a brief moment, but it disappeared before anyone could notice it.

Now that they had the souls, it was slightly easier to recreate their bodies, at least for him. All he needed was to find some materials.

Novius and Cylix had their souls intact! However, Gabriel knew that they weren't going to recognise him. They were completely different people from the two he met in the tower of challenges!

The two in the tower of challenges were only a small bit of their consciousness. They weren't a part of their souls. However, it didn't matter for Gabriel.

The consciousness of the two from the Tower of Challenges was still in his Grimoire. Even though he didn't do it intentionally in the past, it came handy now. All he had to do was merge this consciousness with the main souls and he could bring back the two people that he knew!

Once Novius was back, he could hand over the Empire to Novius and be free from his promise. As for Cylix, he could also gain freedom and enjoy life again!

The two had spent all their time inside the tower of challenges, never seeing the outside world from the moment they were created. Gabriel couldn't help but wonder just how excited they were going to be when they realized that they were not only alive but they were also free.

For now, Gabriel kept the two gems inside his Grimoire Spatial Storage. "In that case, we are done here."

"Are we going back to the Empire?" Alion asked.

Gabriel gazed in the direction of the Empire which he controlled. If anything, that was the only place he could call home in this world. That was also the place where his real Palace was! Moreover, it was where his army was sealed.

Half a month had already passed, leaving only half a month more before his army could be unsealed. No matter what, he had to go back there!

He nodded in response.

Now that he was back, the restrictions of the Abandoned City of Gods didn't apply anymore. He could freely break any restriction, including the restriction on flying. There was no one here who could stop him!

"We're going homeā€¦"

The Arecia Empire... A place that was once the home of the Royal Arecia Family until the family was completely wiped out, was now the Empire that Gabriel ruled over.

Not many things had changed in the Empire, other than the power structure when Gabriel came into power. The Knight Academy was reduced to a second rate force. The Nobles were removed from their positions.

The ones who resisted were removed with force while all their property was taken by the Empire. As for the ones who didn't resist, they were allowed to keep their property which was enough for them to live a lifetime of luxury.

The only thing that changed for them was that they weren't allowed to keep any military power. Throughout the days, the Empire had stabilized.

Without the Nobles, the lives of the commoners had somehow improved as well. Other than the Emperor, everyone in the Empire was the same now! Even a noble wasn't allowed to kill a commoner unless they wanted a death penalty.

undefinedSome people praised Gabriel for this change while others cursed him, calling him a demon. No matter what, every single person in the Empire was talking about Gabriel, even after weeks had passed.

However, strangely enough, one day Gabriel disappeared from the Empire. Since then over two weeks had passed and no one had seen Gabriel anymore! Even the Royal Guards had no idea as to where Gabriel was!

What was even worse was that some mysterious people had appeared in the Empire! They had blood red eyes and some strange yet mysterious abilities that made them stronger than even the Saint Knight of the Empire!

Not a single person could resist them! Fortunately, the men didn't make things difficult for them. Instead, they seemed to be looking for someone!

It was only recently that news started spreading in the Arecia Empire and even the nearby Empires! That news was about Gabriel and it was spread by the Churches who received this news from the Temple of Time!

For quite some time, the citizens found it hard to believe! However when they thought about Gabriel's previous actions, they slowly started believing it.

According to the news, Gabriel was a mage! A mage who was even worse than a Dark Mage! The information that was spreading stated that Gabriel was a Mage of death, who was so evil that he used the death to gain strength!

Even digging a grave was considered to be a taboo in this world, let alone a person who used Undeads and souls to strengthen!

What was worse was that Gabriel was nowhere to be found, which made everyone believe the rumors even more. If Gabriel wasn't guilty, why would he be hiding after all?

Just like that, in an instant, the entire world had turned against Gabriel when he was still inside the Nether Realm.

Almost everyone hated Gabriel! Moreover, thanks to this rumor, the Churches also realized that the person they considered to be the Lord of Darkness was in reality the Lord of Death! He was behind the death of all their members throughout the years!

Even the Lord of Flames believed that the Church of Flames was destroyed by Gabriel!

As if this problem wasn't enough, another piece of news spread which made things even worse for Gabriel! According to the news, Gabriel had somehow taken control of the Grimoire of Light using his evil methods and he had been pretending to be the Holy Lord of Light this entire time!

This explosive news was so shocking that for a long time, the Church of Light was cursing themselves for not realizing the truth! They had lost the Grimoire of Light and that too to such an evil man!

Even the Academy of Elements realized many things. They understood that the person who robbed them the first time was Gabriel! Moreover, the person who killed Izen while pretending to be the Lord of Light was also Gabriel! That's why he wasn't worried about being caught!

Almost everyone was sheeting in anger, trying to find the whereabouts of Gabriel!

Another news that spread throughout the last few days was that the Holy Priestess of Summoning had been captured by the Temple of Time! It was said that she had been working with the Lord of Death! That's why she was imprisoned!

As for who could be strong enough to not only defeat her but also imprison her alive, not many people knew. It was only said that it was a high ranking Temple of Time member who was the second in command of the Temple, almost as strong as the Temple Lord! However, it was also said that the person looked like a kid!

Ever since the Deputy Lord of the Temple of Time captured Avilia, he had been staying in the Arecia Royal Palace along with the prisoner, as if tainting Gabriel and waiting for him to show up!

Just twenty four hours ago, many people who were loyal to Gabriel in the Arecia Empire had been executed in public! These people included the Saint Knight, some high ranking royal guards of the Empire and even the Duke who was a high ranking dark mage!

It was as if everyone who was close to Gabriel was executed one after another, only leaving Avilia who was still kept alive!

Unfortunately, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time! Even after all this time, Gabriel hadn't shown up. Which meant he was scared and hiding!

Just as everyone was wondering how long Avilia was going to be left alive, a declaration spread that Avilia was going to be executed after three days!

It was the first time someone said a Holy Lord was going to be executed! However, no one dared to doubt these words! It came from the Deputy Lord of the Temple of Time after all!

Not a single person knew if Gabriel was finally going to show himself or not. However, they believed that if Gabriel showed up, it was no different than him accepting his death!

The Temple of Time was out in full force and the Churches had also joined them! There was no way out of this trap! As long as Gabriel came, he couldn't leave!

Many people who hated Gabriel were just waiting for him to show up so that he could die! That way, they could at least relax a little. As long as Gabriel was hiding, they always had to be wary!

None of the people realized that the person they were looking for wasn't even in this world at that time! It was just now that Gabriel had come out of the Nether Realm and he was coming straight for the Arecia Empire!

"Something feels off..."

Alion flew right beside Gabriel. His expressions were slightly different as if he could feel that something was wrong. It was just a subconscious feeling.

Even though Gabriel didn't respond, even he could feel something was wrong.

He could feel subtle traces of hostility that were being directed toward him, even when he was far away from any city. This was only possible when the people who felt hostility toward him were too many.

What was even more strange was that he should feel the aura around him becoming somewhat unstable. As the Chains of the World were still keeping this world sealed to some extent, he was more sensitive toward even the most minute of changes in the elemental aura around him!

undefinedThe Elemental Aura was very chaotic and most of it was unusual for the time being, thanks to this chaos.

"Not many people could achieve something like this," he muttered as if talking to himself.

As far as he knew, there were very few people who could do this. Thanks to his Shackles, he didn't believe that the Overlord or Generals from the Upper Realm came here.

Even the old gods of this World couldn't enter this World directly unless they wanted to suffer a Backlash. As for the Holy Lords, they weren't capable of something like that. That left only one possibility...

"It seems all the rats are coming out one after another."

His flying speed increased even more as he understood that things weren't going to be as simple as he expected. Since such a massive change had happened, that meant the other side already knew his identity and his disguise as the Holy Lord of Light.

In that case, it meant they had already prepared for everything, including sealing the Arecia Kingdom where his Castle of Death was.

With only two weeks left before his army awakened, things went south. However, Gabriel didn't appear worried. It was as if even if the sky came crashing down, it wasn't enough for him to even flinch!

"Could it be the Temple of Time?" Alion asked, as if understanding the meaning behind Gabriel's words. "Those old monsters are coming out?"

Unlike the previous gods who left this world, unable to return thanks to the Worldly Shackles, the Temple of Time had never left! They had always been here. For the last hundreds of years, they just didn't show themselves.

Since they had always been here, that meant the Worldly Shackles couldn't stop them from appearing, including the old overlord of the Temple of Time.

In fact, even Gabriel didn't know just how old the Overlord of Temple of Time was exactly. The person wasn't like them who gained an element when many civilizations died in this world thanks to war.

Instead, his strength wasn't his own! His strength came from a special gem that granted him many abilities, including abilities which allowed him to always stay young, or to manipulate the flow of time to a small extent!

Moreover, even though the person only used external elements to manipulate time, that didn't change the fact that he was very strong! Unlike Gods, he didn't have an element of his own. He wasn't like Gabriel who owned a Supreme Element.

Many people thought that the Overlord of the Temple of Time had the supreme Element of Time which was in the same league as the Element of Death, Element of Life and Element of Space! However only Gabriel knew the truth that he wasn't special at all!

If anything, the overlord of Temple of Time was more like Lambard, who was just a mortal but used external help to project an image of the supreme being.

"Temple of Time?" Jia exclaimed, slightly surprised. Ever since the World was sealed by Gabriel, she hadn't heard any news about the Temple of Time.

In fact, even in the Upper World, no one knew about the Temple of Time. However, the ones who went to the Upper World from this world knew that the Temple of Time was strong enough to be considered a top force even in the Upper Realm!

Even in the Upper Realm, there were only three people according to her who could wipe the Temple of Time! One was the Monarch of the Upper Realm. As for the other two, they were the two Generals who worked right under the Monarch of the Upper Realm!

That was enough to show just how strong the Temple of Time was. According to Jia, even if the Goddess of Light came down from the Upper Realm, she wouldn't have been confident enough to face the Temple of Time.

What also made her intrigued was Gabriel. Even after knowing the enemy, he didn't show a single trace of concern.

She couldn't help but wonder just why the Temple of Time and Karyk were enemies.

Initially, the two had nothing to do with each other. However, one day a sudden news came that Karyk stole something from the Temple of Time. Ever since then, Karyk and the Temple of Time had been at throats of each other!

Unfortunately, even with their influence, the Temple of Time couldn't do much to Karyk. At the same time, Karyk also couldn't destroy the Temple of Time.

She really wanted to ask Gabriel just what he stole from the Temple of Time to make those bastards go so crazy. However, she didn't have enough courage. She had heard that knowing too many secrets could be dangerous as well, especially when it was a secret between two overlords.

"Do you really think the Master of the Temple of Time personally came this time?" Alion asked, trying to assess the threat level.

"It doesn't feel like that. If I'm not wrong, he should've sent his second in command. With how cautious he is, he wouldn't personally come until everything was ready for his arrival," Gabriel answered, shaking his head lightly.

That kind of personality really didn't suit a person who was known to be so strong. However, that's exactly the person that the Master of the Temple of Time was. It was as if he was always worried about hidden traps, especially when it came to Karyk!

Many people from the Temple had died in Karyk's hands a thousand years ago after all!

"Should we stay put for two weeks then?"

Alion appeared as if he was thinking to himself, but Jia knew he was talking to Gabriel.

"After two weeks, your army will be unsealed. At that time, the Temple of Time will have to be careful as well! Your army isn't called Unrivaled for no reason after all," he added.

"It took a lot of time and effort to create that army after all." Gabriel couldn't help but think back to the past.

Every single person in his army was handpicked by him personally. As for the Undeads who could satisfy the selection criteria of someone like him, they definitely couldn't be weak!

The world only saw the Undead Army that he created, but they didn't see how much effort he put behind each member.

In fact, even he slightly regretted that he had to seal his Army for a thousand years. However, if he was given the same choice, he was sure he would've made the same decision.

What was a thousand year seal in exchange for a Destiny Stone, even if it meant he had to fall in someone's scheme.

Gabriel slowed down, noticing a city in the distance. The City was very large and it was in the area controlled by the Church of Element of Earth.

Initially, he had no plans to stop in any city. However, with the sudden changes in this world, he felt like what he lacked the most now was information. Just what exactly happened in this world after he went to the Nether Realm?

undefinedHe could get his answers when he reached the Empire of Arecia. But he didn't want to wait that long. There was still too much distance between his current location and the Arecia Empire.

He flicked his right finger. A black cloak appeared around his body, which had sleeves that were so long that even his fingers were hidden in the sleeves.

The cloak also covered the top half of his face, making it impossible for anyone to recognise him. Moreover, now that he had better control over his Element of Death, he could easily hide his aura, even from a Holy Lord. It was to an extent where he appeared no different than an ordinary mortal.

As for Alion, even though he looked slightly extraordinary, he didn't have an Element. His abilities worked in a different principle. Meanwhile, Jia looked just like a kid. No one could associate her with a great warrior. All she had to do was hide her heavy Sword.

"Hide your sword. We're going to the city." He reminded the two people next to him.

Alion understood right away and also donned a cloak. As for Jia, she kept her Sword in her storage space.

She didn't really like separating from her sword since she felt too light without the Sword. It was uncomfortable for her. Unfortunately, since it was Gabriel's instructions, she didn't talk back.

Gabriel didn't forget to hide Dren either. Since Dren was an Undead from the Nether Realm, he was too eye-catching for their goals.

He could only send Dren to the Special space inside his Grimoire, before entering the City with just the three of them.

With the kind of skills the three had, even a High Priest from the Church of Earth would've had a hard time noticing them sneaking inside the city.

It was much easier than sneaking inside the Capital City of the Nether Realm as well.

Gabriel walked on the main streets of the City that weren't too crowded. In fact, not many people could be seen on the streets, as if they were all staying in their house for some reason.

Amongst the few people on the streets, quite a few of them were members of Various Churches, which was a little surprising.

Fortunately, even though there weren't many people on the streets, the ones that were walking nearby weren't shy of talking about the sudden changes.

A young couple was walking not too far from Gabriel, holding hands.

"Are you sure it's safe outside? You heard the announcement about that Death Mage being on the loose? What if he comes to this city?" The young woman's voice sounded a little scared as she kept looking around her, as if she was worried that the man who had scared the entire continent was going to appear in the city to destroy it!

"Hahaha, what are you worried about? You shouldn't be as naive as the other people in the city. My brother is a Priest in the Church of Earth. He told me that it's completely safe in this city!" The young man laughed freely, as if he didn't worry about anything.

"Even if that Death Mage came here, I'd punch his face so hard that he'd die right there on the spot!" The man didn't forget to brag when he had the opportunity.

Since he was sure that this city was safe, he was completely fearless. Moreover, what were the chances that the Death Mage was going to be there and hear him?! Almost none!

He didn't notice three people walking about five or six meters behind him, hearing everything clearly.

Hearing the young man's words, the corners of Jia's lips crept upwards as she glanced in the direction of Gabriel.

Unfortunately for her, Gabriel's face didn't reveal much reaction. The people before him were no more than ants. It didn't matter what they said. In fact, if he showed himself right now, the young man was going to probably wet his pants!.

This kind of person wasn't worth his reaction.

Instead, Gabriel was more curious about the man's words. It was clear that everyone knew about him now. His assumption was more or less accurate!

"How can you be so sure that he won't come here? Isn't it that no one knows his whereabouts? What if he's in the city?" The girl still asked.

"Hahaha, do you think he has time to worry about this city when people who worked for him are dying in Arecia Capital?" The young man rolled his eyes. "Didn't you hear that the Temple of Time killed everyone who was close to him? Even after that, he didn't show up. He's probably hiding in some mountains, scared out of his wits!"

"Ah, right! The man was disguising as the Emperor of Arecia! Who would've known! I heard that his Generals and all his aides have been executed publicly by the mysterious Temple of Time! Even the other Churches are working together with them!" The little girl exclaimed, as if she was somewhat amazed.

"However, the rumor about the Holy Priestess of Summoning working for the Death Mage... Do you think it's the truth? Or is it a rumor?"

"Of course it's the truth! My brother told me that there's no doubt about it! That bitch betrayed the continent! Good thing she's caught by the Temple of Time before she could do too much damage! In fact, if what my brother told me is true, then Temple of Time is going to execute that bitch in two days!"

"Then again, that's what she deserves! I only regret that I can't be there personally when her head rolls!" The man exclaimed, laughing heartily.

However, his laughter abruptly stopped as the world turned upside down! It was as if the world was rolling around! It wasn't long until he realized the truth when he saw his body next to him! His head was rolling on the ground instead while his body was yet to fall to the ground!

"Arghhhh!" The next moment, a young woman's scream echoed in the surroundings.

In the meantime, the three people who were walking behind had long disappeared, leaving this city!

Right outside the Capital of Arecia where Avilia's execution was going to take place, a powerful barrier was erected by the Temple of Time.

The City was filled with members of Temple of Time, each on high alert.

Less than two days were left until Avilia was going to be killed. If Gabriel was ever going to come, the Temple of Time believed that this was the time.

The Second Head of the Temple of Time, who looked like a little boy, was sitting on the throne in the Royal Place, lazily glancing at the woman in the middle of the hall.

Avilia's hands were tied in some mysterious shackles from the Temple of Time, which made it impossible for Avilia to summon anything. As for her strength, it wasn't enough to break those shackles either.

undefined"You are a fool if you think he will come to save me." Despite being imprisoned, Avilia's face was perfectly calm, as if she wasn't scared about her coming death.

Instead, her eyes looked mockingly at the little boy on the throne, as if laughing at his nativity in thinking that she was important enough for Gabriel to come here despite knowing that it's a trap.

"Oh, I know he won't come." The little boy lazily answered. "If anything, I know him much better than you. The man who killed my little brother..."

"It doesn't matter even if he doesn't come. Now that he has returned, there is no place in this world where he can hide from us," he further added, not explaining further. However, from his words, Avilia managed to receive some hints.

"He should've stayed dead. Then again, I'm happy that he's back. My biggest regret was that I didn't manage to kill him with my own hands last time!"

"Stayed dead?" Avilia frowned. Since she was imprisoned, she didn't hear any rumors outside. She knew the Temple of Time hated Gabriel for some reason but she didn't know why exactly. Just what was so special about his identity?

Thinking to this point, she couldn't help but remember the words of the Lord of Wind, who said that there were many people who wanted Gabriel dead, even without him having to do anything.

"Honestly, I have no enmity with you. If you want to blame anyone for your death, blame Karyk for getting close to you. If you still have some hate left after that, then blame yourself for working with him."

The young boy closed his eyes after he finished speaking, not paying any more attention.

"Karyk?" Avilia muttered, frowning. She couldn't remember hearing that name before. Even as she read all the books in the Church of Summoning, there was no mention of this name.

But from what she understood, Karyk was some ancient being who had enmity with the Temple of Time.

When she thought to this point, she remembered something. The records mentioned that the Temple of Time had something stolen from them! The name of the person who stole wasn't mentioned in the records. However, through the years, the Temple of Time had been searching for that item.

Putting the pieces together, she had some assumptions which even she found absurd. Gabriel was the rebirth of Karyk who stole from the Temple of Time! Not only that, Karyk used to be so strong that he had killed many people from the temple of Time, including the brother of the young boy on the throne.

She didn't know how accurate her assumptions were, but she had a feeling that she was quite close to the truth.

She didn't say anything and the hall returned to silence. She simply lowered her head. Even though she believed that Gabriel wasn't going to come to save her, somewhere deep in her heart, she couldn't help but hope that he was going to come and save her.

Outside the Royal City, far away from the barrier erected by the Temple of Time, there stood three people.

A young man, who was almost twenty years old, stood in the middle, accompanied by a man and a little girl.

"These guys are really shameless, aren't they?" Jia scratched the back of her head, looking at the barrier in the distance. "On one hand, they taunt you to come to the City. On the other hand, they do everything to prevent you from entering the City. Something seems to be wrong with their heads."

"Something had been wrong with their heads for over a thousand years," Alion lazily responded. "How else could someone come up with such an absurd plan a thousand years ago about the use of Orbs of Time?'

"Orbs of Time? The thing Karyk sto- cough, I mean confiscated?" Jia subconsciously talked about the rumor she heard in the past, but she quickly corrected her words, remembering who was standing next to her.

"It's been so long since I last saw that barrier."

Gabriel completely ignored the chatter of the two people next to him. Instead, he observed the barrier that reminded him of the last time he dealt with the barrier.

It was the time where the Temple of Time had placed an elaborate trap for him. Not only did they use the barrier to make it impossible for him to leave the place, but they also sent their Second in command at that time to kill him, along with many high ranking members.

For Gabriel, it was as if it had happened just yesterday where his hands were covered in blood! Bodies were lying all around him, lifelessly. Almost everyone who was sent to kill him was dead and the barrier was also half broken when he left.

The barrier before him at the moment was similar to the barrier last time, yet it was also different, as if it was slightly improved, correcting the flaws of the last barrier.

The space inside the barrier was sealed, making it impossible to pass through the barrier without completely destroying the barrier.

The barrier also passed through the earth, leaving no flaws. As for the core of the barrier, it was supposed to be in the hands of the leader sent by the Temple this time.

"This is going to be harder than expected. We can't sneak inside. It would have to be a frontal assault. But that would also mean a head on clash with no advantage to us." Alion stated, as he sat on the ground.

Currently, they were in the dark while the enemies were in the open. However, once they attacked the barrier, that advantage was going to be gone.

There was still a little over a day left so they weren't short on time at least.

Alion brought some fruits out of his storage and handed them over to Gabriel and Jia. Ever since they came from the Nether Realm, none of them had eaten anything.

Jia took the fruit. Even though she was hungry, she was somewhat surprised that Alion could be so relaxed in this situation. He still had the appetite to eat?

While she was still standing like a statue with the golden fruit in her hand, she noticed that Gabriel also sat on a nearby rock, taking his first bite of the golden fruit.

"Is it from my palace?" He glanced at Alion. He still remembered the day over a thousand years ago when he had someone plant some trees in his Palace, just for these golden fruits.

The fruit didn't exist in this world at all. The seeds of the golden tree were brought back by Gabriel from the Upper Realm. Unfortunately, he left for the Nether Realm right after he had these seeds planted.

undefinedAfter that, he didn't have time to return to his palace. It was the first time he was tasting the fruits from his castle.

"Where else can I find it?" Alion smiled. "You should see how big the trees have become. Almost half your garden is covered with those trees. In fact, there are fruits but no one to eat them. After we are done here, I'll take you to see the garden."

Gabriel revealed a long lost smile, as if time had reversed to a thousand years ago. He still somewhat missed that time. Everything had changed in this world ever since he disappeared. Now this world was beyond recognition to him.

It was a good thing that Alion was still his same old self, without the slightest bit of change.

"My sister should be up by now. Even though she won't have any memories of the past, but maybe that's for the best."

He didn't want his sister to remember all the destruction that the world faced, including the fact that her soul was devoured by him last time.

In fact, even if she hadn't lost her memories, he would've found some way to erase her memories. As much as he wanted his sister to remember him, he wanted her to live a life without worries and regret of the past even more.

"The little brat won't remember me. But she would be happy to know that she has two brothers. I do wonder what kind of back story I should tell her to not make her suspicious."

"Two brothers?" Alion was slightly taken back before he understood. He couldn't help but feel happiness from the depths of his heart. Gabriel had been all alone ever since the era of gods started. He had no family!

At the same time, Alion also had no family at all. He didn't even know how the two of them became friends in the past, but to think that Gabriel was giving him a family... Now he had a sister as well, and a brother like Gabriel!

Since Gabriel's sister didn't remember her past, as long as they told her that they were her brother, it was the same as Alion becoming her real brother.

Alion couldn't help but clench his fist, swearing in his heart that even if he had to sacrifice his life, he would protect his sister... He could finally experience what it was like to have a family.

"We should have a celebration when we go back." He revealed a bright smile, gazing at the beautiful moon above them.

Gabriel nodded in response. Even though he hated what happened a thousand years ago, he was also happy at the same time. This way, he got to understand just who were his real allies and who were the traitors, just pretending in the past.

He had a suspicious nature in the past but after the betrayal, he realized that he wasn't careful enough. If there was anyone in this world he could trust, it was Alion!

Around three hours passed. None of the three had made any moves. In fact, it all depended on when and how Gabriel wanted to move.

Instead of going inside the city, or attacking directly, Gabriel was lazily lying on the ground, gazing at the Star filled sky. It was as if there were still some things he had to decide on.

Moreover, all three of them were tied. They had been on the move all the time, ever since they entered the Nether Realm. It wasn't good to attack the City unprepared.

If he was alone, he didn't care much about how tired he was. However, Alion and Jia were different. They needed proper rest to give the coming battle their all.

"The execution of the day after tomorrow. Should we attack the City tomorrow or wait for the last day?" Alion's calm yet peaceful voice came.

Gabriel glanced to his left, noticing Alion resting with his back against a rock.

At their levels, they didn't need much luxuries. Even a rock or the barren ground was fine enough for them. In fact, Alion felt no different between resting on a throne and how he was currently resting.

If anything, Alion was more distracted by the coming battle.

Even though it looked like a battle against the Temple of Time, in reality, it was a battle against all the forces of the world.

He wasn't naive enough to think that the Churches hadn't sent people to the Royal City. If anything, he believed that almost all the Churches had probably sent all their Head Priests who were currently in the Royal City!

Moreover, he was also convinced that almost all the Holy Lords were inside! Once the battle began, it was going to be hard!

Thanks to the Temple of Time's assistance, all the Holy Lords would've had their abilities enhanced. He knew just how tricky the Temple of Time and their tricks were, after all.

It wasn't the same as fighting a Holy Lord in the past this time!

"Do you really want to attack the City, knowing it's a trap?" On the other hand, Jia thought a little differently.

When they knew it was a trap, why were those two men so insistent on attacking the City? Was this the pride thing that the men often talked about? Or was the woman who was to be executed really that special for Gabriel? She had no idea.

She hadn't known Gabriel for a long time as she only recently came to this world. In fact, she didn't even remember ever seeing this Avilia or what she looked like at all.

"What do you think?" Gabriel broke his silence and asked.

"What do you think?"

Gabriel's question in response to her question stunned Jia. She didn't know how to answer. There was no way for her to know his exact intentions after all.

"This battle is inevitable." After a long period of silence, Gabriel responded. It wasn't just about Avilia for him. Even though she was a factor behind his decision, but his real intentions were more than that.

His main intention was to free the City where the portal of his palace was.

He was sure that the Temple of Time already knew about the portal, even though he hid it thoroughly. They were probably trying to find ways to break the defenses. If they somehow succeeded, they could reach his Palace and find his sealed defenseless army!

undefinedWhat was even worse was that his sister was also inside the Palace at the moment!

If they didn't attack in the coming days, there were too many risks. He didn't tell Jia. It wasn't that he thought she'd betray him but he didn't trust her enough either. Moreover, there was no need for her to know such things. It wasn't going to make any difference in their goals after all!

Seeing Gabriel not explain any more, Jia also decided to not ask. She stopped thinking too much about it and went to sleep.

She didn't worry about her safety in this place since who could even dare to attack her in Gabriel's presence. Even if there was an enemy attack, she was sure that Gabriel was going to know and deal with it.

Gabriel cast some spells in his surroundings to hide their whereabouts, including some detection spells to make sure that no one disturbed them during the night.

He was also the last person to go back to sleep as well, only falling asleep a few hours later than the other two.

His mind was still filled with many thoughts, yet he was so tired that he didn't even realize when he fell asleep.

...

It was early morning. The sun had started rising in the distance, providing warmth to the surroundings.

Gabriel slowly opened his eyes as direct sunlight fell onto his face.

He had only slept for less than five hours yet he was also the first person in the group to wake up. Unlike the others, Gabriel didn't have any dreams.

Time passed extremely slowly for him when he was asleep, as if everything around him was dark and he was trapped in that darkness. In fact, he didn't even remember the last time he had a dream as Karyk.

Since his memories were sealed when he lived as Gabriel, at least he had some dreams. However, now he was back to his old self... Someone whose heart was empty inside.

He still remembered the dreams he had when his memories were sealed. Even though most of those dreams were nightmares, he still cherished them. It was much better than how he was now.

He let out a sigh as he stood up, casting a cleaning spell on himself. At the same time, his clothes also changed, turning into something much brighter.

He was in a beautiful white attire, donning a silver robe on his back.

Strangely enough, his attention wasn't toward the Royal City of Arecia at the moment. Instead, he was looking in a completely opposite direction, as if he was able to see something that others couldn't.

Not long after, Alion and Jia also woke up. While Alion stretched his arms, Jia rubbed her eyes, as if she was still sleepy.

Gabriel didn't explain anything to them. He just opened a spatial portal, without giving the other two much time to even ask questions.

"You two stay here. I'll be back soon." After speaking, he walked inside the Portal.

The spatial portal closed as soon as Gabriel passed through, making it impossible for anyone to know just where he went.

"Don't tell me he's going to attack the Royal City right now?" Jia subconsciously glanced in the direction of the Royal City in the distance. She couldn't think of any other place where Gabriel would go at this time.

Alion didn't respond. He simply remained silent, as if thinking about something.

The space cracked and a spatial portal opened hundreds of miles away from the Royal Capital of Arecia.

The place was completely barren and not many people even came here since there wasn't anything here... Or so everyone thought.

From the spatial portal, a young man, clad in white stepped out, observing the valley in the distance.

Gabriel took a step forward and jumped inside the valley without thinking twice.

Unlike the others, he wasn't worried about the fall. His physical body was already strong enough that even if he fell from thousands of meters, he could still remain perfectly fine.

A booming sound resounded in the valley as Gabriel landed in the depths. A crater appeared under his feet, as if the force of his landing was too high for the ground to stay intact.

Gabriel patted the dust off his spotless white clothes before turning to his left where a majestic city could be seen.

No one could've guessed that there was a city in a place like this. In fact, if Gabriel hadn't recovered all his memories, even he would've had a hard time locating the city since this was the City of Abbadon, the City controlled by Lambard.

A barrier was erected all around the city that could remain unbroken even when it was attacked by two Holy Lords last time.

Gabriel walked to the entrance of the City of Abaddon. He was greeted by two human-like puppets before the entrance of the City of Abaddon who commanded him to leave as no one was allowed to enter the City!

Unfortunately for the puppets, the person they tried to stop didn't have any intention to stop.

Gabriel raised his right hand, clenching his fist lightly.

At the same time, a strange energy appeared inside the bodies of the two puppets. Blood red light covered their entire body and before they knew it, their bodies exploded!

The two human puppets were artifacts that could be killed yet never destroyed as they could recover themselves. However, when faced with Gabriel's attack, both the puppets were thoroughly destroyed, turning into specks of light, merging with the surroundings. They could never heal anymore!

While Gabriel destroyed the two puppets easily; Lambard, who was inside his Palace in the city sensed it!

He had been sleeping at the moment yet he suddenly sat up, covered in sweat!

Lambard had refined almost all the artifacts that he had found throughout the years... At least the ones that he was strong enough to refine. Because of that, he was connected to his Artifacts.

Feeling that his puppets were destroyed, he found it hard to believe! The two puppets were supposed to be unbreakable.

He flicked his sleeves. A bright light shot out from inside his sleeves, taking the shape of a human sized mirror.

The mirror initially showed Lambard's reflection yet when he activated the mirror, the scene changed and revealed what happened at the entrance of the City!

His lips parted in shock as he saw a young man, dressed in spotless snow white clothes. With a simple gesture of his, two unbreakable artifacts level puppets were destroyed.

undefinedThere was no way he couldn't recognise that person! He had seen the young man a little over a year ago after all! At that time, he had just become a mage and had received a rare element!

After that point, he asked Gabriel to work for him and when Gabriel failed, he took back the items he gave him, without thinking about the situation carefully.

He couldn't believe that Gabriel became so strong in such a short time! Even with the Holy Grimoire of a supreme element, this speed of growth was impossible! He found it hard to believe but the scene was playing right before his eyes!

Another thing he noticed was that when Gabriel came here for the first time, he appeared somewhat ignorant and naive. He was so weak that he could be crushed like an ant!

However, this time, he looked as if Gabriel was a deity and they were the ants before him! He didn't know why he had a feeling like that. Were the rumors correct? Gabriel was the reincarnation of that Calamity called Karyk?

Even though Lambard lived inside the city, not revealing himself, but even he had heard the stories going around in the World, including all the rumors. He already partially believed this since this information was spread by the Temple of Time. But still, watching it with his own eyes was a completely different experience!

"This bastard, instead of going to the Royal City to face the Temple of Time, he came here to bully me?!" Lambard's face turned slightly pale.

He didn't believe that the city could remain intact if Gabriel attacked! The City was a Demigod level artifact while Gabriel was a God! It was only a matter of time before the City was destroyed!

Lambard wasn't naive enough to think that he could stop Gabriel himself! At best, he could only delay the inevitable!

He strengthened the barrier around the city. At the same time, he sent a message to his informant inside the city, telling them to inform the Temple of Time that Gabriel had appeared!

If anyone could deal with Gabriel at the moment, it was the Temple of Time. He just had to hold back for a little!

Gabriel stood before the City of Abbadon. In fact, it wasn't his first time here. When he lived as Karyk, he had come to this city quite a few times.

He also knew Demigod Abbadon who created this city. Gabriel could still remember that even Abbadon used to come to the gates to welcome him, shivering that he was going to destroy the entire city if he was offended!

"It seems like Abbadon fell in that war." Gabriel shook his head lightly. Only when a Demigod fell could their artifacts be taken by others after all.

He didn't think much about the past. Many people had died at that time, mostly because of his battle with the upper realm! Even though those people weren't attacked directly, they still died as collateral damage of the battle.

It was a really large-scale battle where even the aftershocks of the attacks were enough to destroy continents, let alone killing some demigods!

He could see that the barrier around the city had strengthened. It was clear that Lambard knew that he had arrived.

"What a pity that you can't bring even a fraction of this Artefact's defensive power."

Gabriel didn't care about the strength of the barrier. Even though he wasn't at his strongest, his control over his element of death was stronger than it used to be in the past.

"If it was Abbadon himself maintaining the barrier, it could've been a little challenging at the moment. However you... You're still a few centuries too young to try to stop me."

He placed his finger on the barrier that was said to be unbreakable! The aura of death covered Gabriel's hands. Various universal laws intertwined at the tip of his finger.

One second... Within one second, the cracking sound resounded in the golden barrier before the entire barrier shattered like a barrier made from a thin sheet of glass.

Back inside the Mansion, Lambard coughed out a mouthful of blood as soon as the barrier broke! His face was filled with horror!

His barrier that could hold back two Holy Lord for days without any trouble was broken with just a simple touch from Gabriel! That kind of strength... It wasn't something a human should've possessed!

At that moment, he started believing the rumors even more!

Unfortunately, it was too late now. Even if he tried to teleport the entire city, that wasn't going to change anything. He had a feeling that Gabriel could easily find them with how he was currently!

Moreover, even if he teleported the City, Gabriel was going to go with them since he had already stepped inside the city!

"I can only abandon the City and escape myself!"

Lambard clenched his fists, making a decision to abandon the City and leave himself! When it came to his life, he didn't want to take any chances. If he wasn't such a coward, he wouldn't have stayed inside the city for so long, without daring to go out!

He hastily called his maid while he took all his artifacts that he didn't want to leave behind!

The maid was slightly stunned to see Lambard so scared, even when he was inside the city! She also noticed the barrier was broken, which meant a powerful enemy was here! She didn't dare delay either.

Lambard held his maid's hands before raising a small sphere which was a teleportation treasure, one of his life saving treasures!

A Spatial Aura surrounded him and his maid.

Lambard's heart was racing but he still believed that he could escape successfully! Unfortunately, his face soon turned pale as the spatial aura completely disappeared before it could send them away!

Moreover, footsteps resounded behind him! Someone else had entered the room.

As soon as the footsteps resounded, the entire space was sealed, making it impossible to use any Spatial Artefact that wasn't as strong as a God Tier Artefact at least.

Even the City of Abbadon, which was a Demigod Tier Numen, couldn't resist this restriction. No matter how good the City was in defense, but currently, even it was too weak for the person who had moved unhindered in the Upper Realm and the Nether Realm, even while being targeted by many stronger beings.

"You seem to be in a hurry to leave." Gabriel's voice responded in the room as the footsteps stopped.

Lambard's face was dark as he slowly turned around, stunned at how helpless he was.

"You!"

undefinedThe Maid was also stunned to find Gabriel there. She finally realized that it was because of Gabriel that the barrier broke. She didn't believe Gabriel came here for anything good.

"I'll hold him back! Leave!" She suddenly exclaimed. Even if she had to sacrifice her life, she wanted Lambard to leave this place safely.

Before Lambard could even say anything, the maid brought two sharp daggers out and disappeared.

Within a blink of an eye, her figure appeared right behind Gabriel as she thrust the daggers toward the back of his neck.

"Huh?"

The daggers reached closer to Gabriel's body but just as they were about to touch him, the daggers froze in place. Even the maid, also found unable to move dark shackles came out of the group, trapping her!

Gabriel lazily turned around, gazing at the young maid who was pulled to her knees by the shackles.

"You're too naive. If I couldn't even protect myself from your weak attacks, you think so many people would've been after my life?"

Gabriel had no interest in the maid who only had a few Numens that were given to her by Lambard for her protection. She was too weak for him to pay any attention.

Lambard, on the other hand, was different since he had some nice items at least... Including one item that Gabriel was interested in.

Even though the Maid had asked him to escape while she kept Gabriel busy, but Lambard was still standing in the same place. He wasn't naive enough to think that the girl could stop Gabriel, who was Karyk's reincarnation.

"L-Lord Karyk..."

Seeing no other option, Lambard forced a smile on his face. He was sure that the Temple of Time was going to be here soon as soon as his people gave them this information. Until then, he just had to hold back Gabriel, keeping him distracted.

"Take me to the core of the City." Gabriel didn't waste any time at all since he could already guess what this guy was thinking.

He didn't waste a single moment of his time and forced Lambard to take him to the core of the City!

Lambard was slightly surprised to find out what Gabriel wanted but he had no other choice. He didn't resist at al). Instead, he took Gabriel with him to the depths of his mansion to a secret room.

This was the room where the core of the City was!

It was almost impossible to find the room unless one had great luck since the room kept changing its position. Only an extremely lucky person or the owner of the City could end up inside the room.

In fact, even Gabriel wasn't able to find the room. He could destroy the City and the core along with it, but finding the core was a completely different matter.

This was also the reason he came to this city in the first place. He wanted to take control of the City and to refine that, he needed to use his blood on the core of the City.

Lambard wanted to move as slowly as possible to delay Gabriel, but he didn't have the courage. He didn't want to risk his life like that, since Gabriel wasn't stupid to not realize what he wanted to do. At the time, he could only pray that the Temple of Time was going to be here before he could refine the City.

Back in the Royal City of Arecia, the spy that Lambard had planted was hastily running toward the Royal Palace, to deliver the message to the Temple of Time.

However, along the way, he was stopped by some members from the Temple of Time that were patrolling the City.

Finding him running in such haste toward the Royal Palace was somewhat suspicious. However, when they heard what the man had to say, all their expressions revealed shock!

"Karyk?! Do you know the consequences of lying to us?!" The member from the Temple of Time frowned, still finding it hard to believe a random person on the street when it came to Karyk's information.

He knew that if this information was a lie, not only was that person going to be killed, but even he could get punished.

"That's the information I received from Lord Lambard. He sounded somewhat panicked! Please deliver this information! Or else, it might be too late!" The spy exclaimed, breathing heavily since he had been running for quite some time.

"Fine!" The pale-faced guard placed his hands around the spy's neck before he disappeared.

He went straight to the Royal Palace where the second in command of the Temple of Time was staying. Since it was related to Karyk, no one other than the Commander could make a decision.

"He appeared?" The little boy who appeared to be somewhat sleepy sat up straight as he heard the news. His face revealed a little killing intent. "So he finally decided to show his trails!"

Avilia who was sitting like a prisoner in the main hall was also surprised to find out that Gabriel was nearby! She already knew where Lambard's City was. However, what she didn't understand was why Gabriel revealed his trace so suddenly!

There was only one day left before her death sentence. For him to show up so suddenly, she couldn't help but wonder if he had returned to save her.

The little boy stood up. Even though he wasn't certain if the news was true or not, but even if there was a slight chance, he had to make sure.

He called all his men, and also informed all the Churches to move out!

Even though they had fortified the City, but that didn't mean they couldn't leave.

Moreover, he didn't worry that Gabriel was going to attack the City when they left. The barrier couldn't be broken in such a short time. If Gabriel attacked the City in their absence, they could return in an instant!

No matter what, the City was safe! As for the coming battle with Gabriel, that was inevitable.

Gabriel was taken to the room in the depths of the mansion where the core of the City was.

Lambard personally opened the door and entered first, as if he was worried that Gabriel was going to think that there was some trap inside.

He didn't realize that Gabriel wasn't worried about traps at all. He entered right beside Lambard.

The room was dark yet it was slightly illuminated by a deep blue sphere that was floating in the middle of the room.

The sphere seemed as if it was made of crystal, releasing a weak light. If it wasn't for the aura of the crystal sphere, it could've easily been confused with an ordinary crystal decoration item.

undefinedLambard stood near the door, right next to his maid. His mind was still wondering how long it was going to take for the Temple of Time to come here. He didn't want to lose his city before that happened.

Unfortunately, at the moment, he felt that it was highly likely that those people weren't going to come in time.

Gabriel stopped before the crystal sphere. A small scratch appeared on his thumb that started bleeding.

He placed his thumb on the crystal sphere, carving his blood mark to refine the City.

Even though the current owner of the City was still alive, that didn't matter since the difficulty in refining the City was the same for him, with, or without the previous owner of the City being alive.

As soon as he completed carving the bleeding moon mark on the crystal sphere, the sphere changed color. It turned from a shade of blue to deep red.

A trail of blood came out from Lambard's lips as his connection to the City was forcibly cut. His face was slightly pale and his body felt a bit weak but he was still mostly fine.

He had lost his control over the City which now belonged to Gabriel.

He wondered just why someone like Gabriel needed a Demigod Tier Artefact like this city. However, he didn't ask.

He only took a random guess that it was because he wanted to somehow use the City in his battle against the Temple of Time and the Churches. As for how he was going to do that, Lambard had no idea.

Gabriel didn't stop with just the City itself. In fact, after taking control of the City, he made Lambard give up the other Numens as well. It was unclear if he really needed those Numens or he was taking revenge because Lambard had taken back the disguise ring when he was in need of it inside the Academy of Elements.

Within the next ten minutes, Lambard lost all his Numens to Gabriel, getting one injury after another.

He felt so aggrieved but he couldn't do anything. At the moment, he wasn't even sure if Gabriel was going to let him live or not. He could only play along while cursing the Temple of Time for being so late.

"Looks like your help is finally here."

Gabriel suddenly spoke, raising his head slightly as if he could see through the walls.

Lambard's eyes didn't show much happiness. What was the benefit of those bastards coming now that he had already lost his everything? Instead, now it was even more dangerous for him since a battle between the Temple of Time and Gabriel could easily kill an ant like him who had nothing to protect him with.

Gabriel didn't pay much attention to Lambard. Instead, he just raised his hand, clenching his fist. The entire city turned into a speck of light, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The core of the city floated inside his Grimoire, leaving Gabriel, Lambard and the woman standing in the middle of the valley.

Lambard's eyes widened as he felt like cursing Gabriel.

Now that the enemies were here, instead of using the City to protect himself, he brought all of them in the open? It felt as if Gabriel was looking for them to be killed at the hands of the help they called for.

For Gabriel, the protection of the City wasn't much. However, for them, staying inside the city was at least safer than standing in the open in the middle of the battle.

Gabriel flew out of the valley, standing at the edge above. He didn't bring Lambard and the woman with him since his attention was on someone else.

In the distance, he could see a little boy... Floating high in the sky, looking down at him.

Even though the little boy was high in the sky, Gabriel still felt his killing intent clearly.

The man wasn't alone either. It was as if everyone in the Temple of Time who came out this time was there!

Not only the Temple of Time, but even the forces from the Churches were there, including everyone from the Church of Light, who felt as if he had stolen their Grimoire through evil tricks.

He was surrounded from all sides, as if the enemies didn't want to leave him even the slightest chance of escaping.

He could also feel that the space had been sealed completely, making it impossible for even him to teleport.

A majestic formation could be seen high in the sky, which was releasing a strange yet familiar force.

"Isn't that the same formation you used the last time the Temple tried to kill me?" Gabriel asked, gazing at the formation in amusement. "What a pity that I had to kill everyone at that time in such a hurry. I couldn't enjoy the battle at all."

The little boy frowned. Gabriel looked completely calm, even though he was trapped. What was even worse was that he was talking about the battle in which the little boy had lost his brother.

"You've grown even more arrogant, haven't you?" The little boy asked Gabriel. The beautiful gem of time hanging around his neck started shining brightly, releasing an immensely powerful aura that felt as if true gods had descended!

"This time, there's no escape for you. We've been preparing for a thousand years for this moment. Even if there were ten of you, all ten would die Today!" he further added. "By revealing yourself, you've made the biggest mistake of your life! You should've remained hidden like the rat you are!"

"Rat? The reminds me of the man who led the team from the Temple last time." Gabriel's clothes changed, turning into pitch black. Even the aura around him was stronger.

All the plants and trees nearby started dying as soon as this aura came in contact with them.

His body started rising in the air as well. "I seem to remember him being as confident as you, only to beg like a rat when it crushed him. You both have the same personality. Don't tell me he was your brother or something?"

Gabriel was surrounded by all his enemies yet he looked so calm, as if this was exactly what he wanted.

At the same time, he didn't realize that another change was taking place in the Abandoned City of Gods.

The Portal of the Nether Realm had suddenly opened and a small group of people came out.

The group included people from the three great clans of Nether Realm. What was strange was that the group was accompanied by a young woman who tightly held a compass in her hand.

undefinedMaya had entered the Nether Realm with the Holy Priestess of Water, thinking that it was some secret realm which contained some treasures from the Era of Gods. However, it was only later that she realized how wrong she was!

As soon as their group left the barren desert in the Nether Realm, they were discovered by the warriors of the three great clans.

Since they were an outsider, the people from the Nether Realm tried to capture them. However, the Holy Priestess of Water didn't allow them. She fought back, and killed the beings of the Nether Realm who lived in the outer layer.

Unfortunately for her, even she couldn't contain this information. The Nether Realm was already on high alert since the capital city was sealed! There was a lot of hostility toward the outsiders as well. And now that she had killed even more people of the Nether Realm, there was no way out!

The Holy Priestess of Water decided to turn around and leave this place after realizing how strange this place was, without a single trace of elemental aura.

Just as she was near the portal to leave this place, she realized that the path was blocked! The people from the Three Great Clans had arrived at that place straight from the Capital after receiving the information!

No matter how hard the members of the Church of Water tried, they couldn't fight their way out and they were eventually captured and led to the leaders of the three great clans who had failed to catch Gabriel in the Ancient Battlefield.

Because of Gabriel, the leaders of the Three Great Clans were really furious. It was even worse for the Ancestor of the Blood Clan who realized that not only Gabriel had left but even the ancient skeleton was missing as well!

No matter what he tried, he couldn't find a trace of Gabriel which convinced him that Gabriel had already left that place!

As he was in a bad mood, the group from the Church of Water was brought before him! In his anger, he didn't even ask any questions before killing at least half the people in the group, as if he was giving a warning to them that their lives were in his hands!

The scene of their death was also gruesome as blood spilled out from all their orifices before their bodies eventually exploded, turning into blood that was absorbed by the Patriarch of the Nether Realm!

"Where is he?" The Patriarch asked without even trying to hide his killing intent.

"He?" Elora frowned, not knowing who the man was talking about. In their group, there was no man.

'Is he talking about the people who were ahead of us? Don't tell me they created some trouble in this place and now I have to pay for them?!'

The Blood Clan Patriarch's aura was so heavy that even Elora had a hard time remaining standing under the pressure.

"If you don't answer me, I'll kill you all right here! Where is Karyk!" The red haired old man once again asked.

Hearing his words, Elora shook her head lightly. "We don't know any Karyk. I only cake with the people that you see here. However, I do think there was another group before us. We aren't with that group!"

" We haven't even seen that group clearly! You must be looking for them! It's just a misunderstanding!" She further explained, glancing around. The strength of the people around her was beyond her expectations. In fact, even a single of them could run around unhindered in the outside world!

As for the strength of the red haired old man, she couldn't even see the extent of it. It was as if she was standing before a giant mountain that was impossible to see through!

The thought of attacking the red haired old man didn't even cross her mind since she knew how stupid was.

Hearing the young woman's words, the old man frowned. He raised his hand again. A scream responded before another Head Priestess died!

"Are you sure you want to protect him?" he asked. "Every minute that you delay in answering me, I'll kill one person behind you!"

The old man was already impatient since he had lost something important. Moreover, he didn't believe Elora's words.

Just as he promised, every minute he kept killing a Head Priestess that came with Elora, as if he was trying to see just how long she could hold back!

On the other hand, Elora was also getting restless. She truly didn't know who the old man was talking about! Who had the strength to mess with a person like him in his own domain? Was it even possible?

She kept frantically telling the old man that she didn't know the man as she watched her people die. It was as if she was caught in a long nightmare that was impossible to get out!

In the end, Elora couldn't take it anymore! Almost everyone she brought with her had been killed except her and Maya.

"I don't know who angered you but I promise I'll find him for you if you let me live! No matter where he's hiding outside, I'll bring him back for you!" Elora exclaimed at the top of her lungs.

Almost everyone was already killed. If she still didn't stop the old man, in the next minute, it was going to be her number to die!

She was really regretting her decision of coming to this place! She finally understood why no one came back from this place alive! This place was the land of nightmares!

"Oh? You think you can bring someone like him back?" The old man raised his brows. "Either you underestimate him, or you really overestimate yourself. However, since you're that stupid, it does feel like you don't know who I'm talking about."

"Fine. I'll give you one chance!" he stated. His suppressing aura still wasn't lifted. Instead, it became even stronger!

Even Elora couldn't resist it anymore and dropped to her knees with a thud.

"I don't need you to bring him back! I just need someone to lead my men outside! Lead them to the people that Karyk holds dear in the outside world! We can't bring him back by force but we can definitely force him to come back!"

The Patriarch didn't want to personally leave this place since even he wasn't confident in fighting anyone outside the Nether Realm.

Moreover, if the Upper Realm found out that he had left this place and sent someone to kill him when he was outside, it was even more dangerous.

He wasn't as worried about facing Gabriel as he was about facing those old monsters from the Upper Realm in their domain. That's why, he only wanted to send other people to bring Gabriel's dear ones to the Nether Realm where he could freely do as he wanted!

"Fine. I'll go with your people and help them!" Elora agreed right away! Anything was better than dying.

undefined"Who said you'll be going there?" The old man flicked his finger, sending Elora flying back. A blood prison came out of the ground, trapping Elora inside.

"You'll be a prisoner here. The other girl will go, since she looks like your subordinate! If she doesn't return or fails in the task of guiding my men, you'll be the one who dies!"

The old man didn't know much about the outside world since no one from the Nether Realm had gone outside for centuries. However, from the way Elora behaved initially, it was clear that she had a high position in the outside world.

Sending her outside was no less than releasing a tiger in the forest! There was nothing to stop her from using her outside influence to trap or betray his men. On the other hand, Maya appeared much weaker... As if she was the weakest in the group that came with Elora.

That was also why the old man hadn't killed her yet. All he needed was a guide to lead these people to Karyk and his dear ones. From there, the rest was for them to handle. All they had to do was take his dear ones and enter the Nether Realm.

Elora glanced at Maya, slightly taken aback. That meant her life and death depended on her new disciple?

She tried to give some excuses and explain how it was a better idea for her to leave to help them better, but the old man didn't listen at all.

He had already gathered a few of the strongest warriors from the Blood Clan for this task.

The other two great clans also selected some people. It was partially because they also wanted to deal with Gabriel while at the same time, it was to keep an eye on the Blood Clan to make sure they didn't do anything against their interests.

After a team was prepared at a short notice, they left the Nether Realm, coming out from the other side.

The old man from the Blood Clan had already given a portrait of Gabriel to his men. It was only after his men came out from the Nether Realm that they showed the portrait to Maya, telling her that this was the person they needed to find.

When Maya saw the portrait, she had a hard time believing it herself! The portrait belonged to a young man that looked awfully familiar! She had seen that person many times before. It was none other than her childhood friend.

In the portrait, he looked a little older and more mature yet it was impossible to not recognise him.

"The Lord of Darkness?" she exclaimed.

She had been in the Nether Realm with the members of the Church of Water so she had no idea about what happened in the outside world, or about the new identity of Gabriel that was already exposed. In her eyes, his identity was still the same that she had misunderstood.

What was even more surprising was that this person was the one who offended the old man and yet managed to leave the place safely? Even her master, Elora, couldn't achieve it but Gabriel was able to do it, and in such a way that the old man hated him to the bones?

She couldn't help but wonder how strong he had become in such a short time. It was completely beyond her expectations. In fact, it was her who was left in his shadow now, unable to catch up.

She was still only an advanced mage and that too because she got help from her master. However, without any help, Gabriel was stronger than her master!

Looking at the portrait, she couldn't help but remember their last day in their village where they were both sitting on the roof under the moonlight, talking about the future!

Everything had changed between them in such a short time. They used to be so close yet now they were nothing less than complete strangers. She couldn't blame Gabriel for that either, knowing that it was her who had attacked him, almost killing him!

She thought she was doing good for the world by sacrificing a friend yet it turned out that she had done completely the opposite.

She hadn't sacrificed her friend but she had certainly sacrificed her friendship! Gabriel was still there and he was stronger than her master yet she hadn't heard about any evil deeds targeting the innocents.

He had certainly killed people from the other Churches but that was because the two sides were at a feud. He wasn't anything like a mindless killer that the rumors had mentioned a dark mage to be in the books.

She could only clench her fist tightly. If she could go back to the past, she would've certainly made a different decision if she knew how mistaken she was. Unfortunately it was too late.

Moreover, currently she was leading people who wanted to kill Gabriel yet she couldn't do anything. She had already fallen out with Gabriel and her master's life was on the line. She couldn't do anything but go along.

"Oh? It seems you already know this person." The leader of the group from the Nether Beast Clan revealed his sharp fangs as he smiled. "It looks like this will be easier than we thought."

"I know him." Elora nodded after slight hesitation. "He's the Holy Lord of Darkness Gabriel. But he doesn't have any family or friends. I don't think it's possible to find anyone he holds dear in this world."

"Oh? If that's the case, then the other woman would have to die. So for her sake, I hope you can find that man and someone he cares for. If not, we can only go back and watch your master's execution together!" The man laughed coldly.

The entire earth could be felt trembling. Most continents were already destroyed in Karyk's last battle, leaving only one. However, in that one remaining continent, another storm was brewing.

The space had been sealed, and over ten majestic stone gates emerged from the ground, creating a formation pattern of the Temple of Time.

An area as large as a country was covered in between the formation. The formation amplified the strength of Gabriel's enemies while, at the same time, restricting his abilities.

What was even worse was that all the doors were directly connected to the main Temple of Time, drawing their strength straight from the core, unlike the other formations that used the surroundings as the source of energy.

Far away from the battlefield, there was the Temple of Time which was very empty currently. Most of the people from the Temple of Time were already sent to deal with Gabriel.

undefinedDespite utilizing so many people this time, the Leader of the Temple of Time still hadn't stepped out. He was sitting on a throne in an empty hall, looking at the mirror before him, which showed everything that was happening.

Through the mirror, he could see the real-life situation. For now, he didn't know what kind of trap Gabriel could've had in place, so he didn't leave right away. Instead, he waited for the right opportunity.

If his men succeed, then good. But even if they failed, as long as they could force Gabriel to exhaust all his secret tricks, that was also worth it. From there on, he could handle the rest personally.

The Leader of the Temple of Time was the strongest in the Temple of Time. However, it was said that he was just too cautious for his own good! Even when dealing with a weakling, he was so cautious that at times, it embarrassed others.

Most of the time, it was the second in command who made decisions about such things.

"He had disappeared for a thousand years, and now he's back. There's no way; he doesn't have any secrets. What if the entire fight with the Upper Realm was a lie? What if he was trying to trick us? What if he had made up with the Upper Realm after that fight, and only then did he come out again?"

Sitting on the throne, the leader of the Temple of Time kept thinking of all the possibilities, no matter how unlikely and stupid they seemed. At times, he even wondered if the man was indeed Karyk or just someone pretending to be Karyk for fame.

If it were up to him, he would've taken decades to decide if he should attack Karyk after knowing of his return. Unfortunately, his second in command was much more eager.

The leader also didn't try to intervene too much and let him do as he pleased, even though he did try to convince his people to take more time to think about it.

In fact, if he weren't that confused and cautious all the time, he would've used the Orbs of Time long ago! He had the Orbs of Time for hundreds of years, but because of his caution and confusion, he never really used them.

It was also because of this uncertainty that his people didn't really think of him as a leader but as a coward. On the outside, his reputation was of a ruthless and cunning leader. But only he and the members of the Temple of Time knew just how much of a letdown he was!

Even over a thousand years ago, it was the second in command who finally forced him to use the Orbs of Time and execute their plans, saying that they had already wasted enough time as it was!

Unfortunately for them, it was also that time when Karyk came to know the secrets of the Temple of Time related to the Orbs of Time. When the Orb of Time was secretly being shifted to another destination for the execution of the plan, Karyk appeared, taking the Orbs amidst the weak security.

It was also at that time, the enmity between the two sides started. The second in command chased after Karyk, using every means possible to kill him and take back the Orbs of Time, even going as far as using most of the force of the Temple of Time.

Despite all that, he failed and even ended up dying. Unfortunately, the situation didn't change much. After his death, his little brother became the second in command with even more hatred in his heart.

The hatred between the two sides continued further. However, it didn't last long. Before the Temple of Time could attempt a second time, the news of Karyk's death came!

The one who was most furious at that time was none other than the man who looked like a little boy since he wanted to kill Karyk personally.

This time as well, he only came out when he heard the news about the appearance of Karyk's palace. He hadn't expected to get news about Karyk's return at that time! However, when he found it out, his eyes lit up! Finally, he had an opportunity to take revenge for his brother with his own hands!

"These two brothers... Just why are they both so alike? The older one died because he didn't listen to me, and now the younger one does the same." The leader of the Temple of Time sighed, glancing at the little boy in the sky who was holding on to a red gem firmly.

"Whatever, maybe this time, we'll end it all. If you make him exhaust all his tricks and make me convinced that he isn't that strong, I'll help you. But if he's scarier than I thought, I won't think twice before abandoning you all! That's what you get for not listening to me!"

"This is for my brother! Pay for his life with your life!" The second in command from the Temple of Time, known as Heriet, clenched his fist tightly, using the strength of the superior gem of time!

The red light in the gem started shining, covering his entire body in a mysterious light! He didn't care about sacrificing his life at the moment! All he cared about was getting revenge for his brother, who was his only family!

Thanks to the mysterious powers of the gem, the Heriet became even stronger than he was before! It was as if he was out of the bounds of time, freely able to manipulate time to some minor extent!

The time started flowing at least a thousand times slower for him before he finally made his move!

Time seemed to have slowed down to the point that it appeared as if the time had almost stopped entirely!

Even though Heriet had gathered so many people to deal with Gabriel, in reality, he only brought them for backup in case something went wrong! He didn't really want to fight with them! If anything, he wanted to deal with Gabriel personally!

In the next instant, he appeared right before Gabriel!

"Brother, I'm sending him to personally apologize to you!" He screamed at the top of his lungs before thrusting his Sword.

Even though Heriet seemed strong to the others, not many could see that there were tears in his eyes as he was finally getting his revenge!

undefinedHis parents had died when they were very young and he only had his elder brother who was only three years older than him.

At that time, they didn't even have enough to eat yet his elder brother used to do anything he could to get food for them, even going as far as begging, all so his little brother wouldn't go hungry!

That was how those two spent their childhood. Their lives only changed when they became adults and managed to join the Temple of Time with some luck!

At that time, they thought that their sad times were over and they could finally live like humans and not insects at the mercy of others!

Unfortunately, that happiness didn't last long since Heriet's brother lost his life while attempting to kill Karyk.

Heriet didn't care what his brother did or whose fault was it! For him, his brother was his everything! To lose him was to lose the biggest emotional support of his life!

He didn't even remember for how long he had been dreaming of this moment!

"I'm afraid your brother might have to wait a little longer."

Heriet's Sword stopped right as it was about to stab through Gabriel's skill. At the same time, Gabriel glanced at him.

Heriet was shocked. Time was moving slowly. However, Gabriel was still able to move freely, as if he wasn't bound by the restrictions of time!

Even though Gabriel's face didn't have many expressions, Heriet felt that his gaze was mocking him.

"H-how can you..." Harriet jumped back, landing in the distance. He was so shocked that his control over time eventually broke, freeing the others from his control!

The others were momentarily surprised to find out that Heriet wasn't standing in the air like before! He was standing around ten meters away from Gabriel.

Everything happened so fast that they couldn't even notice it!

"How can you stay unaffected by time?! It's impossible!" Heriet frantically asked.

"You really underestimate your brother if you think he didn't try this trick last time." Gabriel's lazy gaze rested at Heriet. "You all can't truly control time. You only take external help to control a fraction of the time."

"What a pity that it's useless. If you could truly stop time completely, maybe it would've been challenging. But slowing down time? You're looking down on me too much."

Gabriel had already realized how the Temple of Time gained their strength. They didn't have a single mage. They also didn't have the Supreme Element of Time! If they had someone with that Element, then that person could've been much harder to deal with. However, these people...?

The aura of death around Gabriel intensified as he stood in the midst of all his enemies like a god of death.

In fact, he didn't even think too seriously about his enemies. If he hadn't awakened his memories, he might've died at this place. However, now that he had returned to his peak, these people weren't challenging enough!

Instead, his target was the Upper Realm! The people before him were just a stepping stone!

Gabriel glanced at the sky, as if thinking of something. "It looks like, after today, everyone will know that I've returned. In that case..."

He raised his right hand toward the sky.

Unfortunately, Heriet didn't want to give him any chance to use a spell! He commanded everyone to attack! Even if it was Gabriel, he couldn't leave alive!

Thousands of attacks, containing the combined strength of various elements came for Gabriel. At the same time, the crackling of thunder resounded in the sky!

"You've made us run in circles to catch you! But this time, we will get equal!" The Holy Priestess of Lightning chanted her strongest spell while her Grimoire floated before her.

Her spells were even stronger under the effect of the unbreakable formation!

Through the dark clouds in the sky, a raging lightning dragon came down, destroying space wherever it passed through!

"Return the life of my people that you took!" The Holy Lord of Flames also roared, casting his strongest spell... A blue flaming Tsunami that could burn everything in its path to cinders came out of the group, as if it was looking to swallow everything!

pĆ ŠædĆ”-ňį“Ī½ĆŖĪ¹.ŃĆ³Šœ At the same time, the ground split apart under the spell of the Holy Priestess of Earth, as if looking to swallow Gabriel whole!

The Holy Lord of Nature wasn't behind either! Thousands of unbreakable vines came out of the ground, wrapping around Gabriel's feet, not allowing him to move.

One after another, all the Holy Lords had made their move! However, there were clearly two missing. The Holy Priestess of Summoning was still in shackles in the Royal Palace while the Holy Lord of Wind had disappeared as soon as Heriet had appeared in this world!

As for the Holy Lord of Light, he was Gabriel himself so his presence or no presence was the same!

Boom~

All the attacks landed on the target! The flaming Tsunami covered the entire ground, wrapping it in deep blue flames that were impossible to see through. At the same time, the lightning dragon also entered the sea of flames, seemingly hitting the target.

For a long time, explosions kept resounding as all the attacks hit the target inside the sea of flames.

Heriet still hadn't attacked. Since his last plan failed, he let the others test the waters. However, he was certainly slightly surprised to see that Gabriel hadn't resisted and was hit by all the attacks.

He was frowning, wondering if Gabriel had truly died inside the sea of flames. He didn't believe that it could be that simple.

Thud~

Thud~

While everyone was wondering if Gabriel had died, loud rumbling sounds resounded, as if coming from the sky! It was as if multiple chains were trembling and clashing together.

Heriet looked towards the sky. He had a bad feeling about this. The sound of chains... As far as he could remember, the only chains in the sky were from... A World Tier Spell!

The sound that seemed like the rattling of chains resounded all over the world, falling in everyone's ears like divine chimes.

Under the effects of the sound, people from all around the world stepped out of their houses, trying to find the source of that sound. However, that sound was coming from every direction!

The sky was covered in dark clouds, covering the entire land under heavy shadows. Even the Holy Priestess of Thunder who had just used the Lightning Dragon was taken aback since the dark clouds created from her spell were devoured by the new dark clouds that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The rattling of chains only intensified, becoming even louder while the deep blue flames raged on the ground where Gabriel was supposed to be standing.

In the end, something appeared to break! A strange yet powerful aura suddenly flooded earth. It was as if some restriction on this world was removed, freeing the world from the shackles.

undefinedAt the same time, the sound of shackles breaking apart also echoed everywhere!

The aura of this world was no longer imprisoned. However, that also meant that what happened here was no longer hidden!

The giant shackles that were holding onto the sky suddenly opened. Instead, like a majestic dragon, the shackles came flying down to the ground, rushing straight to the blue sea of flames in the middle of nowhere.

Watching the pitch black shackles come down from the sky, everyone was taken aback! To ordinary people, it even appeared as if a world destroying dragon was rushing down to destroy everything in its path!

The giant shackles were even visible from the Abandoned City of Gods as well! The team that was sent by the Nether Realm noticed the intimidating Chains in the distance.

They had never seen something like that before. However, they had a feeling that it had something to do with the person they were after. Only that person could be strong enough after all since he also managed to escape safely from the Nether Realm!

"It looks like a battle is happening there! Amongst the ones involved, one should be our target!" The Blood Clan member frowned, looking at the direction where the shackles were falling!

Almost everyone had an ugly expression on their faces. Even though they were strong in the Nether Realm, they weren't as strong as their clan leaders. Moreover, currently, they were outside the Nether Realm which meant they were even weaker.

"Can we even go against someone like that? Isn't it just courting death if we go there? This mission is too dangerous. Should we just go back and tell the clans that we couldn't succeed? Punishment of the clan is better than dying here!" Someone amongst the Nether Beast Clan chimed in.

There was rarely a time where he felt scared. However, this was one of those times!

"That's right. We're the geniuses of our clans. Even if we fail, we won't be killed. At best, we'll be published. That's better than going against that monster who won't think twice before killing us!" Another person from the Nether Beast Clan nodded. This mission was impossible according to him!

If their leaders personally came, it was still possible but for them, it was much different.

At the same time, the ones from the Undead Clan were silently watching the dark shackles, feeling as if that thing was too scary. It was as if the shackles were made purely from the element of death.

"Are you really such a coward?" The group leader from the Nether Blood Clan was also hesitating but he knew he couldn't go back. His clan has explicitly commanded him that he must succeed or he was also going to be killed!

He didn't know why Gabriel was so important to his clan but he also had no choice in the matter. Also, since he was already caught in this mess, he didn't want others to leave as well. With their help, it was slightly easier. Moreover, even if they fall, it was much better to drag the others with him than to die alone!

"Do you really think your clans will just let you go with slight punishment if you go back like this? The matter is too serious this time. We must succeed! Moreover, who said we will die? It's not as if we are going to fight Gabriel!" He further added.

"Our mission has nothing to do with him. Instead, we just need to take the ones he cares for! And what better opportunity than this?!"

"What do you mean?" The young man, with dragon scales on his skin, asked.

"If I'm not wrong, Gabriel is fighting someone. And it doesn't appear to be an easy one either! Doesn't that mean we can take advantage of this situation?" The red haired man from the Blood Clan smirked, hiding the deep fear in his heart behind his calm facade.

"If he's fighting, then it's obvious that his friends must be fighting with him as well, to help him. We just need to find those people and take them with us amidst all the chaos!"

The red haired man took a step forward. His fists were tightly clenched as he tried to be as optimistic as possible.

In the end, he managed to convince the others to follow him! They also dragged Maya with them along the way, going toward the battlefield.

The dark shackles rushed inside the sea of fire, disappearing inside. However, at the same time, the deep blue flames also froze in place.

The flames that were even hotter than the molten lava froze in place as soon as they came in contact with the dark shackles.

Snap~

Following that, the sound of someone snapping his fingers was heart. The frozen flame turned into small specks of snow, dispersing in the atmosphere. For a moment, it even appeared as if it was snowing on the battlefield.

The Holy Lord of Flames had his lips opened in disbelief.

His flames were destroyed just like that! What was even worse was that Gabriel was still completely unharmed!

The ground under his feet had disappeared. However, he wasn't pulled inside! His body was floating right where he was standing previously. Not a single speck of dust could be seen on his clothes.

As for the lightning Dragon that had attacked him... He could still be seen there! However, the lightning Dragon was just like a helpless beast whose neck was grabbed by Gabriel with his right hand.

The lightning dragon struggled to the best of his abilities. Flickers of lightning could be seen everywhere in the midst of snowfall. However, the dragon couldn't free himself!

In the end, the lightning dragon could only wail in pain in front of everyone's eyes before it was destroyed completely!

As soon as the lightning Dragon was destroyed, the Holy Priestess of Lightning coughed out a mouthful of blood while her face turned pale.

The Lord of Flames had at least handled it between as only a trail of blood came out from his lips when his strongest spell was destroyed from the core but the Holy Priestess of Lightning was in a much worse condition.

After destroying the lightning dragon, Gabriel looked at his palm. There were some burn marks on his right hand which clearly looked painful yet he didn't have much reaction.

He had also gotten hurt but his condition was much better than the rest. Moreover, it was also what he wanted as well. It was waiting for the others to attack him at once so he could deal with them at the same time.

undefinedHeriet was stunned. Even under the effect of his formation, Gabriel could still remain mostly unharmed. However, what stunned him the most was the disappearance of the pitch black shackles that had once entrapped this world. The shackles were nowhere to be found;

He couldn't help but wonder just where the shackles disappeared! How could such a big thing disappear into thin air!

"His right wrist...!" While he was still thinking about it, someone exclaimed in shock pointing towards Gabriel.

Heriet noticed Gabriel's right hand carefully! Only now did he notice that something was different! There was a new accessory on his right wrist which wasn't there before!

There was a pitch black bracelet in his right wrist and the bracelet looked too similar to the shackles that had trapped this world for such a long time!

It was as if the shackles that were large enough to cover the entire world had shrunk to a size where they could be reduced to a bracelet! This seemed impossible!

The shackles were created with a world tier spell! That meant they weren't real but a manifestation of Gabriel's element! How could that turn into a real accessory? If that was really the case, didn't that mean Gabriel had managed to create a Numen from his world tier spell?!

A Numen that was made from a world tier spell... Just how strong could it be? It was definitely in a league way above any other Numen! Since Gabriel created this Numen from nothing, its strength couldn't be guessed! Nothing like this had ever happened before.

"Shall we get serious now?" Gabriel raised his right hand. Since he didn't need to change a spell, no one could hear his spell. However, they all saw a summoning circle before him!

"Since they don't want to let me leave, I will also stop caring. If the Upper Realm wants to go to war, I'll welcome them this time!"

Then though the others couldn't see it, as soon as he recalled the Chains of Death, his control over the element of Death had improved even further!

For a thousand years after he died last time, the shackles of the world had been gathering the aura of death from this world that was imprisoned! No one knew about it! Even the ones from the Upper Realm hadn't managed to guess it!

In the last thousand years, the chains of death had gathered too much aura of death which was even difficult for Gabriel to absorb at once.

The more he assimilated with the chains of death, the more the dark patterns on his skin spread, making it appear as if his entire body was covered in a tattoo!

The black patterns then spread up to his neck, slightly visible even when he was fully dressed!

"Just a little more..." Gabriel muttered, feeling the overwhelming energy. Even after gaining so much, he was still lacking a bit! Correctly, his absolute control over the Element of Death had spread to close to ninety percent!

Others didn't know about it, but while Gabriel created a summoning formation before him, another summoning formation appeared in the Garden of Legacy in the Arecia Empire!

The summoning formation covered the entire garden and even more!

No one was near the area. However, if one was there to see, they would've been stunned to see that a Majestic Castle had appeared there, as if it came out of thin air!

The castle was surrounded by a river of blood on all sides where wailing of evil spirits could be heard loud and clear.

The beautiful yet scary castle was the castle that Karyk used in the past! It was also the castle where he had sealed his army for a thousand years!

Even though he had promised to seal his army for a thousand years, ever since the Goddess of Light betrayed him, he also stopped caring about that promise. Unfortunately, even he couldn't break the seal that he had cast on his army!

To break his own seal prematurely, he had to be even stronger than he was when he cast the seal which wasn't easy. If that wasn't the case, he could've already called his army when he was attacked from all sides, even if it meant breaking a promise. However, it was different this time.

After assimilating with the worldly shackles of death, his strength was incomparable to what he possessed in the past.

At the same time, from the smaller formation circle that was right before Gabriel, another person came out. A man, covered in a dark cloak which hid his face.

Even though the man's face looked like a human, there was a deep blue flame burning in his left eye. What was even weirder was that one of his hands didn't have any flesh, leaving only bones!

Gabriel had finally arranged everything! He intentionally drew his enemies out of the Arecia Empire so the Empire wasn't harmed in their battle!

Moreover, he also used their own attacks to successfully refine the Worldly Shackles into a Numen which was impossible even for himself if all the conditions weren't met!

Now that everything had settled, he was finally ready... Ready to kill!

In the Upper Realm, the Ruler of the Realm was lazily sitting on his throne, listening to some reports by one of his Generals. His eyes were closed yet he was still awake, lazily listening without giving much reaction.

However, a few seconds after the report was finished, the man suddenly opened his eyes, looking strangely in a particular direction.

"This... Interesting. It's him again..."

He wasn't alone who sensed something strange either. It was as if Gabriel was openly declaring his return this time, making everyone know!

Gabriel floated in the middle of the air as if he was an Overlord who was looking at everyone from high in the sky.

"I should thank you for getting so many people here to help me." Gabriel's calm voice echoed in the entire battlefield that seemed to have come to a standstill.

For a moment, everyone was so surprised that they even forgot to attack. Gabriel had summoned Raphael, who no one recognized. They had never seen Raphael before, but they could also feel the cloaked man's Strength.

What was even weirder was to hear Gabriel thank them. They couldn't understand the reason behind his thanks.

Gabriel also didn't bother explaining. Ever since he recovered his memories, he realized how important the worldly shackles were for him. These had absorbed the element of death for a thousand years!

undefinedAlong with the element, the Worldly Shackles also gained all the hate and resentment, gaining something akin to a consciousness that wasn't completely controlled by Gabriel.

If anything, that consciousness hated Gabriel! Unfortunately, it couldn't free itself. No matter how much that consciousness hated Gabriel, it was still trapped in the shackles, tied to a spell that only the caster could break!

Ever since Gabriel recovered his memories, the Worldly Shackles had been restless, feeling its connection with him. It wanted to kill Gabriel to be free of his control, thanks to all the resentment and hate it had absorbed from the beings who died in the last thousand years.

Even Gabriel sensed this resentment. He could feel that his control over the worldly shackles was unstable as if controlling it was getting harder and harder.

If he wanted to refine the Worldly Shackles into an artifact that he could carry with him, it was harder than it seemed. Even he didn't have confidence that he could succeed!

If he was too forceful, he could've accidentally destroyed the spell instead of being able to control the Shackles. If that happened, it was no different than him wasting the resources that took a thousand years to gather.

At the level he was at, it was getting harder and harder to increase his control over the Element of Death since he was reaching closer to the true god level. The closer he came, the harder it was to take another step forward!

He didn't want to fail and waste a Worldly Spell, and the element of death gathered in a thousand years!

Initially, he was planning to drag the Temple of Time to this place and use them to his advantage. Fortunately, he didn't even need to do anything. By the time he came out of the Nether Realm, surprisingly, everything was already in place!

All his enemies in this world had gathered at a place, doing exactly what he wanted!

None of them realized that it was intentional for him to not attack them right away. He wanted them to attack him with their strongest spells. That's why he waited for the right opportunity!

It was only when the others attacked with everything that they had, he broke the Worldly Shackles, only maintaining a minimal level of control!

While everyone thought that the Worldly Shackles came down to help him, in reality, it came down to kill him!

Unfortunately for it, all the attacks weakened the Worldly Shackles, especially the Holy Element of Light that came from the members of the Church of Light. Even Flames and Lightning had some purifying properties that helped him weaken the resentment in the shackles!

He used all the attacks on him as auxiliary support while using everything he had to refine the Worldly Shackles to increase his chance of success. Fortunately, in the end, he succeeded!

Even he wasn't sure how successful he could've been if he didn't have help. Still, he didn't have any intention of going easy on the others.

His targets were ancient beings in the Upper Realm and not the people before him. The ones before him were just a stepping stone! Once he got rid of them, he could truly cleanse this World of all the remnants left behind the traitors who worked with outsiders to kill him!

Not that his refining was successful, the calm expressions on his face disappeared, returning to the cold emotionless face that Karyk was famous for.

He didn't care about the hundreds of thousands of people that were surrounding him. Moreover, the number of people only kept increasing as all the Churches had issued a decree for all Mages to participate in the subjugation of the so-called devil!

Even some spatial Portals were opened in every city to bring the Mages here! It was as if the Temple of Time and the Churches were ready to sacrifice as many people as they needed if it got rid of Gabriel.

In the blink of an eye, the battle intensified. On the entire battlefield, magical spells could be seen everywhere! One after another, explosions resounded everywhere!

Raphael was slightly surprised that he was suddenly on a battlefield. Moreover, Gabriel felt different. He felt stronger... And scarier.

Raphael couldn't understand why so many people were here for Gabriel. It was as if this world really wanted him dead!

Still, no matter what, he had to fight with Gabriel. He joined the battle without a second thought, fighting like a Warlord who was made for the battlefield!

Raphael stood in the middle of the battlefield, his eyes fixed on the two mages standing before him that appeared to be there to not only block him but also to kill him.

Seeing how dangerous Gabriel was, no one doubted the capabilities of someone he would've summoned. That's why, to stop Raphael, the Holy Lord of Flames and the Holy Lord of Lightning stepped forward personally!

They had already suffered heavy damages against Gabriel and weren't confident enough in facing him at the moment, at least until they recovered to some extent. However, they weren't scared of dealing with Raphael.

The air was thick with tension as the three prepared for battle. Raphael knew that he was outnumbered, but there was not a trace of surprise or hesitation on his face.

The Holy Priestess of Lightning was the first to attack. She raised his hands and summoned a bolt of lightning that struck the ground near Raphael. Raphael quickly dodged the attack and retaliated with a burst of flames that engulfed the young woman covered in Armor.

The Holy Priestess of Lightning didn't take Raphael seriously! She had a Numen that made her immune to flames! Moreover, she also cast a spell to protect herself.

There was a mocking look on her face, as if she was mocking Raphael for being useless against her. There was a reason she

came to stop Raphael after all!

The Holy Lord of Flames was obviously safer against Raphael who could only use flames while she had the help of her protective treasure that was most useless against flames. If that wasn't the case, it was doubtful if they would've stepped forward.

The Holy Priestess of Lightning lazily stood in the middle of the deep blue firestorm. She didn't even try to escape from the firestorm as if she wanted to see Raphael's face when she came out unharmed.

She wanted to wait for Raphael to exhaust himself first so she could launch a surprise attack and take him out at once.

Unfortunately, her condescending expressions soon changed. Her calm and arrogant face turned pale white as if it was a thin sheet of paper.

It didn't take long before she screamed in agony, feeling the terrifying heat that was burning her skin and her bones.

She was horrified! Her treasure hadn't helped her at all, as if it didn't recognize these blue flames as flames at all! As for her own barrier, it was destroyed right away;

undefinedIn the blink of an eye, her entire body was on fire! She tried to escape from the firestorm but it was too late! She was locked inside, unable to leave! Even space was blocked inside this firestorm!

She couldn't come out. Only her agonizing screams managed to escape the firestorm.

Even the Holy Lord of Flames was in disbelief! It had only been a few minutes since the battle started and the Holy Priestess of Lightning was already at death's door, screaming like a dying animal!

He wanted to save her but he didn't. He wasn't even sure if he could save her in the first place since her screams had already grown weaker as if she could die at any moment.

Instead of wasting his time to try and save her, he decided to use it for the better and attack Raphael when he was distracted by the woman.

He was not deterred by the fate of his comrade. He raised his hands and summoned a wall of flames that separated him from Raphael to hide him from the view. At the same time, he also wanted to give the impression that he was scared and not a threat!

He knew that he had to act fast. He closed his eyes and focused his energy. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and unleashed a massive wave of flames that engulfed the wall of flames, surpassing it to engulf Raphael who was on the other side.

The two locked in a fierce battle, each one trying to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy since they both used Flames! Even though their flames were different at the core, they were also similar which made the two of them the worst match for each other.

Their attacks were weak against the other, let alone the fact that they were both experienced in battles.

Raphael summoned a dark fireball, that looked like a pitch black sun ,that he hurled at the Holy Lord of Flames. The Holy Lord of Flames countered with a wall of flames that deflected the fireball at the last moment!

"You might've been strong against the others, but you're useless against me! I can hold you back as long as I want!"

The Holy Lord of Flames was taken aback that he couldn't kill Raphael ever with a sneak attack. However, it didn't matter. All he had to do was wait for the others to kill first. After they joined him, there was no way Raphael could survive!

Raphael also understood what this guy was planning! He wasn't taking a risk and only trying to drag the battle. If the Holy Lord of Flames seriously fought, there would've been many chances for him to kill him.

Unfortunately, the Holy Lord of Flames was a turtle, hiding in a shell, not revealing any flaws!

Raphael knew that he had to end the battle quickly. No matter what he had to do, he couldn't let the battle drag! The number of enemies for Gabriel were increasing with each passing second. There were over a million mages there now!

"Even if you hide in a shell, you won't survive!"

Raphael closed his eyes and focused his energy once again. He also brought out a pitch black crystal out of his pocket, placing it in his mouth.

As soon as he placed the crystal in his mouth, the veins around his neck popped up. It looked as if he was in pain, using something he truly wasn't capable of. However, he didn't care.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. The flame in his left eye turned from deep blue to pitch black, as if Raphael was using something he never showed before.

The aura around him completely changed, as if he was an entirely different person! Moreover, some traces of Spatial Elements could also be felt in the black flames now that matched the aura of the crystal! Even though it was temporary, his flames did have a second element now!

Just like the Temple of Time used the Time Crystals to use the abilities of time, Raphael had used the Space Crystal. It was unclear where he found it from but it was so small that it looked as if it could break easily after a few uses!

Raphael didn't care about how precious this crystal was! The battlefield wasn't a place to think about the expenses.

While the Holy Lord of Flames was still maintaining his distance while regularly attacking to make sure Raphael didn't leave, he didn't realize that Raphael was slightly different now. He couldn't feel the spatial element in the flames.

While he was still hiding behind a flaming wall, he didn't even notice thousands of spatial Portals open behind him. More spatial Portals appeared above him and around him.

It was only after the space around him started cracking apart that he noticed something amiss. He turned around, only to be greeted by thousands of small Spatial Portals.

His face immediately turned pale but it was too late. Something akin to black flaming bullets shot out from each of the spatial portal around him!

Before he could even have time to cast a shield, all the bullets penetrated his body, leaving him filled with holes! A hole could even be seen in the middle of his forehead.

His expressions were blank as his body lost all its strength. He wanted to ask how it was possible but his throat had multiple bleeding holes, making him unable to speak.

The wall of flames disappeared while the Holy Lord of Flames dropped to the ground lifelessly.

Raphael stood alone within the blazing crater, drenched in perspiration and struggling for breath. He had triumphed in the conflict, but was aware that it was just one of many battles to come. In addition, the use of the crystal had drained him even further!

Raphael had just finished killing the two Holy Lords, all alone. It was only after that he had some room to breathe.

He turned to Gabriel to see what the situation was like on the other side. However, he was quite surprised by what he saw.

Two more Holy Lords had died on Gabriel's side! What was even better was that Gabriel's bracelet had returned to their giant shackles form which was like a dragon, flying through a battlefield, destroying all the gates created by the Temple of Time to create the formation.

The battlefield was drenched in blood as death could be seen everywhere. At the moment, the millions of mages who had rushed to this place, thinking that it was a war that they could win were frightened out of their minds.

They were cursing themselves for even coming there! It was as if they had come to death's door on their own.

undefinedLet alone joining the battle, ever standing closer to the battlefield was hard for the ordinary mages, especially when Gabriel used the Wrath of Undead, wiping hundreds of thousands of mages at once!

Unfortunately, it was hard to kill Herriet thanks to his blood red crystal! Whenever Gabriel was able to kill Herriet, Herriet's crystal came into effect, sending his body back in time by a few seconds!

Thanks to that, it was as if Herriet could see the future since he was experiencing it first hand! Unfortunately, moving the time back was too taxing.

Herriet kept getting younger and younger as a pride. If he looked like a twelve year old before, then now he looked like an eight year old. Even he knew that he couldn't go on like this! If this continued, he was going to be wiped off the existence for using the crystal.

Unfortunately, he had no choice.

"Even if I have to die, I'll drag you with me!" Amidst the painful cries of hundreds of thousands of beings every second, Herriet clenched his fist tightly.

This time, he didn't use the Crystal of Time slowly. Instead, he placed the crystal in his mouth, swallowing it whole. Instead of using a fraction of its strength, he decided to use it all, even if it meant sacrificing his life for just a few seconds of Power!

He sacrificed his last eight years as well, for only thirty seconds of crystal's complete strength!

He hadn't expected Gabriel to be this strong even under the effect of the formation. However, it didn't matter! Before time, everything was useless!

As soon as he used the crystal to its full capacity, Herriet felt his body burning. It was as if his body was disintegrating slowly, unable to contain this massive power;

His hair turned pure white, as if they were brimming with incredible strength. His body was also surrounded by the aura of time. Space cracked around him constantly, as if unable to maintain the balance between space and time.

Herriet knew that there was no way back. Now that he had used his last resort, he had to die after thirty seconds... A painful death. However, no matter what, he still wanted to drag Gabriel with him to hell.

Gabriel was slightly surprised at how much strength the small insignificant red crystal contained.

He had never met the God of Space. However, for that person to be able to create such crystals, it was clear that his control over the Supreme Element of Space was much higher than his own control over the Element of Death!

He also hadn't expected that a mortal would've been able to use most of the strength of the God of Space thanks to the Crystal.

Gabriel didn't even have the time to think about it when the time suddenly stopped entirely. It was as if the Domain of Time had spread everywhere, covering the entire battlefield!

Inside the Domain, time didn't move slowly. Instead, it was completely halted! A Domain like this was something that only the True Gods that had complete control over their elements could cast.

Inside such a Domain, everything was under their control!

Even though time inside the Domain had stopped completely, for Harriet, it was still moving at normal speed. His body was still decaying at normal speed.

In the next moment, Herriet appeared right before Gabriel, who appeared to be frozen in time as well. Even though he also had a Supreme Element, he couldn't cast a Domain like that thanks to his control not reaching that realm.

Despite being frozen, at least he could still think. His body was frozen but his consciousness was free, allowing him to see everything.

This feeling was really strange.. he could feel what was happening but he couldn't do anything. He realized that he had really underestimated the Crystals.

"How does it feel?" Herriet stood right before Gabriel, with a cold smirk on his face. "Do you regret killing my brother? Don't worry. I'll send you to him to apologize personally!"

Twenty seconds had already passed, leaving only ten seconds. Blood could be seen trickling down Herriet's lips. His body was almost completely destroyed. He could feel himself dying, experiencing pain like never before.

However, he wanted Gabriel to feel much worse! He brought a small dagger out, that was made using a weaker Time Crystal. Not only did it work like a normal dagger, but it also had the potential to kill true gods, let alone an incomplete one like Gabriel.

"This is the dagger of my brother. And this shall be what kills you today!"

With only five seconds left, Herriet thrust the knife ahead!

"You talk too much." Just as Herriet thrust the knife ahead, a calm emotionless voice fell in his ears. Something grabbed his wrist, making it impossible for him to push the dagger forward.

He lowered his gaze, taken aback. How could someone move in the Domain? This didn't make sense! However, what he saw was even worse. It was Gabriel himself who stopped him!

Gabriel's left hand was holding onto his wrist, making it unable for him to move the dagger forward.

One second... Only one second was left in Herriet's control. However, he couldn't even pull the dagger back, let alone do anything else.

His skin cracked apart, as if he was a statue. Under the effect of time, his body had finally reached its limit.

His eyes were still open in disbelief as he watched Gabriel's face while his body broke apart, disappearing into nothingness.

He couldn't believe that even after using such strength, he still failed! Why? Was it because he wasted too much time talking, giving Gabriel a chance to recover? He had no idea.

However, even as he died, there was a devilish smirk on his lips.

With the death of Herriet, time once again started moving. However, right at that instant, something big happened.

A sword passed through Gabriel's back, impaling his heart from the back.

When the time stopped, there was no one near him. So it didn't make sense that right when the time stopped, someone could be so close to him to attack! Unless...

Gabriel realized that it was the trick of Herriet. Even when he had confidence in his skills to kill Gabriel, he still left a backup! He stopped time for everyone... Everyone except someone that he left behind to kill him in case he failed!

When time was frozen, Gabriel could only see what was ahead and couldn't sense the entire battlefield. That was the perfect time for someone to come closer from behind while he was distracted.

undefinedHowever, it was hard to imagine that Herriet, who was crazy in his anger, could come up with this plan. It didn't make sense.

The sword was still in his chest, covered in blood. However, it was only when Gabriel saw the Sword that his expressions changed! This sword... It wasn't from this world! It was a sword from the Nether Realm, containing the cursed powers of the Nether.

His expressions darkened. It didn't make sense for Herriet to be in contact with them. Even the Temple of Time couldn't go to the Nether Realm after all.

At the moment, the worldly shackles had destroyed all the gates of the Temple of Time. The Formation was destroyed while the shackles returned to him.

As soon as he was stabbed in the back, his figure disappeared as he appeared a thousand feet away, still having the Sword stabbed in his back.

He held the Sword firmly, pulling it out while also looking in the direction where he was standing to see just who it was that attacked him like that! If it was someone strong, he would've been able to sense their threat after all, even if they were from the Nether Realm.

"You..."

The Nether Sword fell on the ground, still covered in Gabriel's blood. Some mist could also be seen surrounding the Sword which was decaying his blood around the sword. It was as if the sword was poisoned!

Just we he especially, the wound on his chest wasn't healing as it should. However, he doesn't think about that. Instead, his gaze rested at a person in the distance.

In the middle of the battlefield where he used to stand, there was a girl, on her knees. Her face was pale and she looked scared.

It was none other than Maya.

Gabriel was almost killed twice in this life, and both times it was the girl who used to be his friend. Even now, she was the one who stabbed him in the back.

A killing intent like never before exuded from Gabriel! The killing intent made everyone in this World tremble deep within.

[Ten minutes ago]

The group from the Nether Realm reached the battlefield, amazed at the scale of the battle that they saw!

They came here to find people close to Gabriel that they could take with them. However, there was only one person here who was fighting for Gabriel... It was Raphael!

Unfortunately, when they saw how strong Raphael was, they dropped the idea. If Raphael was so strong, wouldn't it be better to kill Gabriel instead. Both paths led to death after all.

They didn't even dare to get closer to the battlefield in fear that they were going to be caught in the crossfire and die. They had almost given up hope when they saw a white domain cover the battlefield!

It was the Domain of Time! Even though they never left the Nether Realm, they knew about such things since their world had fought the Upper Realm many times in the past.

Thanks to all that knowledge, they realized that this was the opportunity! An opportunity where Gabriel could be killed by his enemies. Unfortunately, they couldn't leave it to chance!

"Here." The Leader of the Blood Clan took off his ring, giving it to the Maya. "This is my treasure, so it should help you. Wear it and enter the battlefield!"

"This ring should make you immune to the Time Domain for three minutes. Enter the Domain and make sure that he is killed!" The middle aged man exclaimed.

Maya's face went pale. They were asking her to do it herself? And that too, entering the battlefield of this scale? One wrong step and she could die!

"Y-you are stronger. Shouldn't you do it?" She asked, hesitantly.

Unfortunately, she didn't receive a response. The man only gave her a glare. No matter what, he wasn't going to take this risk. She was a tool to them that had no value. It was better to send her that going themselves! Even if she died, it didn't matter after all! Her death was better than their death!

"You're weak. It would be harder for him to sense you since he's paying his attention on that little boy who used the Domain. Go now and kill him! Don't you want your teacher to be saved?" The middle aged man also tossed a blood red sword at Maya's feet. "Make sure to stab him with that."

Maya looked at the Sword at her feet before glancing at Gabriel frozen in the distance. Unfortunately, she still picked up the Sword. Even though they used to be friends in the past, the time was long over. Even if she was nice to him, he wasn't going to forgive her after all!

She wasn't even sure when Gabriel might change his mind and come look for her to have his revenge for the past. Moreover, he had already killed so many people on the battlefield. If he wasn't stopped, millions of people were going to die!

She clenched the sword's hilt tightly. Even though she was scared, she decided to do it!

She hid the sword in her storage ring so it couldn't be sensed easily before she flew inside the Domain.

The ring that she was given was something that could only protect her from the Domain for a few minutes before shattering. However, a few minutes was more than enough!

She flew straight inside the battlefield from where she could see Gabriel's back.

Even Herriet didn't notice her since he was more focused on Gabriel, blinded by hate and revenge!

Maya stopped behind Gabriel right when he stopped Herriet.

When dying, Herriet noticed Maya behind Gabriel. His lips couldn't help but curve, revealing a smirk even as his body was destroyed!

Maya had stabbed Gabriel right through his heart. She was still in disbelief and felt her body felt weak as soon as she stabbed him.

Her legs buckled and she dropped to her knees, right after Gabriel disappeared from her view. She still couldn't believe that she had done it! She had managed to stab the man who was fighting all the mages of this world alone!

She didn't know if Gabriel was dead from just that as he disappeared right away. She could only look back in the direction of the Nether Realm Warriors, as if telling them that she did as they asked.

The Nether Realm Warriors were also stunned that she actually succeeded! Even they didn't expect her to achieve the task while still remaining alive. However, no matter what, she was successful!

Their eyes lit up in surprise. As long as Gabriel was poisoned, it was only a matter of time for him to die. They didn't believe that anyone could overcome the poison on the sword which was made from the blood of the Blood Ancestor.

undefined"We still need to find his body to drag that bastard back!" The leader of the group from the Blood Clan revealed his devilish smirk as he stood up. There was no need to hide anymore! There was no need to stay wary!

The others also stood up with glee in their eyes. Unfortunately, right then, a wave of killing intention rushed everywhere that made all of them tremble.

It was clear that this was the doing of Gabriel!

"To think that he's still alive and this strong even after being poisoned..." The young leader of the Nether Nether Beast Clan sighed. "This pressure is similar to our Patriarch."

"Probably his last flicker. He should be bluffing. Don't take it seriously!" The Blood Clan Leader laughed. He had absolute faith in the poison.

Without thinking twice, he flew toward the source of the killing intent.

The others in the group also believed him and followed after him. If they could drag Gabriel's body directly, instead of his loved ones, then this was an achievement of lifetime for them! They couldn't even imagine the awards.

The entire battlefield had also come to a halt. As soon as time started moving, everyone watched the girl stab Gabriel in the back. The Second Lord of Temple of Time had also died.

They weren't sure if Gabriel was seriously injured or not. They didn't even know who poisoned the sword. However, they really hoped that the battle was over. Without the Second Lord of Time, they had no faith in winning. Even four Holy Lords had also died!

At the moment, they wanted nothing more than to run and hide. However, when they felt the terrifying killing intent they realized that it wasn't going to be that simple.

The Warriors from the Nether Realm soon located Gabriel standing on top of a nearby cliff. His chest was still bleeding, tainting his clothes blood red. However, his face still showed no emotions. Only his eyes were filled with killing intent, as if it contained the fury that had accumulated for thousands of years!

Gabriel's lifeless eyes looked at the Nether Realm Warriors in the distance. Just as he expected, the sword came from the Nether Realm! They were all working together!

His rage was overwhelming. It was as if the entire sky had turned pitch black, only showing a shadow of a bloody red eye as if it was the sun in the sky.

His figure disappeared once again. While the young leader of the Nether Realm was stunned as to where Gabriel went, his face went pale when Gabriel appeared right before him.

In the next moment, he only saw a palm before his eyes. His face was grabbed by Gabriel. Before he could even struggle, he heard Gabriel's words. "Drain Touch!"

"Arghhh!" The leader of the Blood Clan roared as if he was in pain that made him wish he was dead. His entire body shriveled up as if all his blood and bones were sucked by Gabriel!

Even his soul felt as if it was being sucked away.

He couldn't even beg for his life before all the pain stopped! His shriveled up body was tossed away while his soul was forcefully dragged inside the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy that floated next to Gabriel.

The others from the Nether Realm were horrified by what they saw. They wanted to flee as fast as they could, but before they could even turn around, their eyes turned blood red while they all screamed in pain!

Multi illusory thin threads came out of Gabriel's hand, penetrating deep inside their bodies, connecting to their souls.

"Drain Touch!" Gabriel used the same spell again, absorbing their strength for his own use!

Usually, he needed to touch a person to use the spell. However, thanks to the illusory red thread, that wasn't needed.

Even as he destroyed all the Nether Realm Warriors, his rage hadn't calmed down.

All the mages in the battlefield seemed to be frozen in fear. However, Gabriel didn't glance at them. His lifeless gaze rested on Maya in the middle of the battlefield while his chest still bled.

Even though the poison wasn't life threatening to someone like him, it was still painful since the wound healed extremely slowly. Every moment, he felt a soul crunching pain thanks to the poison. It didn't affect his skills and his strength, but the pain couldn't be ignored.

His Grimoire of Necromancy floated high in the sky while Gabriel landed on the ground. Just his presence alone felt different than in the past.

The Holy Grimoire of Necromancy opened on its own. Thousands of evil Souls kept coming out of the Grimoire every passing second! Moreover, all those souls found targets in the battlefield.

Explosions resounded everywhere as souls kept exploding after finding their targets. Blood splattered everywhere, making it the most gruesome sight that the Mages mages present here had ever seen!

This was the battlefield of the demon that doesn't even blink while taking lives!.

Gabriel didn't care about the explosions behind him. Now that the Second Lord of Temple of Time and all the Holy Lord of Elements that joined the battle were dead, there was no threat to him.

A similar Soul Shield appeared behind him, made by combining millions of Souls which protected him from all the attacks of these people.

Gabriel's shield kept devouring all the attacks that were targeted at him. He grabbed Maya by her throat, raising her light body in the air, tightening his grip.

"Disappointed that you still can't kill me?"

"Disappointed that you still can't kill me?" Gabriel's lifeless voice fell in Maya's ears.

His voice, his expressions and his persona were all so different from the time when the two used to live together that it was truly like he was a completely different person.

Maya felt slightly suffocated. She knew that Gabriel wasn't going to let her live in any case. However, when she saw all the people dying around her, she felt even worse!

There were many youngsters in the battlefield who didn't even want to fight anymore and just left. However, Gabriel didn't let them leave, killing them all in the worst possible ways.

"Millions of deaths, destruction, pain, and grief... All because of you..." Maya spoke, still struggling to breathe. She felt so heartbroken at all the destruction. "You... you should've never been born!"

undefinedPreviously, she still felt bad that she tried to kill Gabriel. However, she was convinced that she was right! He had become a demon who killed everyone, without caring in the slightest.

Now she didn't regret trying to kill him. What she regretted was falling! Failing to kill and stop her old friend in time before he became this Demon.

Maya's feet were a few feet above the ground while her throat was in his grasp. Her life and death was in Gabriel's hand but she didn't beg for life v

It was a battlefield with thousands of bodies littered all around. Blood trickled down her trembling lips as she gazed deep into the eyes of the young man.

She noticed Gabriel pulling out a small yet crude sword. This was the sword that she herself had given him when they were children. She still didn't know how he still had something like this. However, to think that he was going to kill her with what she gave him... She found it quite ironic.

"Today, I shall sever every relation between us and return this sword."

Initially, he didn't want to kill her since she was too weak and pathetic already. Moreover, no matter what, he was still a little soft hearted at that time, forgetting old enmities and focusing on new.

He had owed their family his life since they saved him when he was a child and he paid that back with his life in the past. At least that's how he thought of it. However, the second time wasn't the same... No matter what, this was enough!

He didn't owe them anything and she still tried to kill him. Now she owed him something... She owed him a life!

Gabriel raised the small Sword. His eyes looked at the deep blue eyes of Maya as he thrust his sword. It was as if there were only the two of them in this World.

The sword passed through the heart of Maya, making her face go pale. She bit her lips but didn't cry in pain.

Her eyes were somewhat wet, as if she was really trying to resist the pain in front of Gabriel who held the hilt of the sword that had impaled her chest.

Even raising her hand was a struggle for the girl, yet she didn't give up. She raised her hands with great effort, placing them around the throat of Gabriel.

"I... should've... killed... you..." She struggled to speak as her vision started turning blurry. She didn't even have enough strength to choke the man before her, who didn't even resist.

The man simply spoke a few words in response. "You did... Twice..."

A sad smile crept up the lips of the woman. "Yet you... just refused... to... Die."

"I can't die, Maya. Not yet. You're too insignificant to claim my life!" The young man touched the pale cheeks of the lady who was on her last breath.

He raised his head, glancing in the direction of the sky. "I didn't start this... But I will end it."

"They will be here sooner or later! You'll die! Even you can't win! You can't escape this time." Maya spoke, gazing deep into the eyes of the young man. In her eyes, the Overlords of the Nether Realm were much stronger and they wanted him dead. She was sure that he would die sooner or later as well. "You will..."

She tried speaking something, but before she could even finish her sentence, her eyes lost their shine, and she slowly lost all her strength or resistance. She took her last breath in the arms of the man she hated and loved the most in the entire world...

Gabriel didn't let Maya's body fall to the ground. He held her in his arms as he glanced at her pale face that once used to be filled with life.

Even though he lived longer as Karyk, his life as Gabriel also held equal significance. All the emotions that he felt as Gabriel... Everything that he felt in the past... Everything was new.

Those ten years of his life in a calm and peaceful atmosphere of the village was precious for someone like Karyk who hadn't had a moment of peace for over a thousand years.

Unfortunately, that was too much for him. No matter what, someone like him was never made from that peaceful life.

Some unexplainable emotions flickered through his eyes. "Things could've been different."

He placed the body of the young lady on the ground in one of the few gaps in the corpse-covered field.

"Fate is cruel, isn't it? When I hadn't started recovering my soul, I couldn't tell you my feelings. And when I became what I was meant to be, you refused to listen..."

Even as Karyk, he never felt what the feeling of love was like. It was only when he lived ignorantly as Gabriel that he got to experience something like that... Something which was sweet yet so painful.

He couldn't help but shake his head lightly. "Human emotions are so fickle..."

"But now that I've come this far... I won't fall back. I'm still not finished!" He took a deep breath as he stood up while holding the wound on his chest. He tossed the small sword near Maya's body. As battered and bloodstained as it was, it didn't belong to him in the first place. "I won't let even the Gods stop me."

Thousands of dark spirits circled around him, protecting him from thousands of blazing attacks targeted at him, whether weak or strong, as they barrashed the barrier.

The entire world was against him. All the mages had joined the war against him, all so they could destroy the one they considered the devil. Still, Gabriel didn't retreat. He was even prepared to die in this life if that's what it took for him to accomplish his task.

The Holy Grimoire that was floating high in the sky kept turning its pages until it stopped on the last page... The page that had never been seen before.

The last page was different from any other pages. Its entire texture was different, as if it was just the purest form of death energy compressed in the form of a page.

"This world has been tainted by the other gods... I will erase all their traces from this world!"

A terrifying amount of energy rushed out of the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy that was connected to Gabriel's soul.

The terrifying energy was so frightening that it even alerted the Upper Realm and the Nether Realm! Unfortunately, in such a short time, none could react or even have any forces ready.

undefinedFor the first time in a long while, Gabriel actually changed the spell.

The Black symbol of Element of Darkness on the back of Gabriel's right hand shone brightly, in sync with the Forbidden Book.

For a moment, it was as if the entire world had gone silent as Gabriel started chanting the forbidden spell. The spell was taking a heavy toll on his own body. As he spoke, his body seemed to age a little every second that went on. He could feel pain deep within his soul with each word he spoke, but he didn't stop.

It was the same thing he experienced the last time he cast a World Level Spell. However, there was not a single trace of hesitation on his face as if he was prepared for this.

The sky started thundering as if it was going crazy at the blasphemy. This time, Gabriel wasn't just trying to seal the to protect himself like in the past. However, he was instead trying to destroy all the laws of nature that acted in this world other than his own Element of Death!

He was trying to change the World at its core, making it his own Domain, like the Nether Realm was the Domain.

This was an idea that he had when he went to the Nether Realm last time. Unfortunately, his control over the Element of Death wasn't enough.

Even a mere earth was hard to turn into a domain, let alone something much stronger and vast like the Upper Realm. Fortunately, thanks to the Worldly Shackles that made him stronger, he finally felt that he could barely achieve his goal... A goal of creating a Realm of his own.

Since he couldn't create something of his own, he could only twist what he had to his own benefit, making it so that this place was only beneficial to him. It was much more efficient than the Worldly Shackles as well.

The worldly laws around earth twisted and turned. Spatial cracks appeared all around the world. Many earthquakes and natural disasters were noticed all around the world.

Some even felt that it was an apocalypse and that their entire world was going to be destroyed. Almost everyone was scared, worried for their safety while praying to their gods for safety.

"Has he gone crazy?" The Overlord of the Upper Realm frowned, standing up.

He didn't care about earth since that was a pathetic world, much beneath the Upper Realm. He didn't care if that world was turned into a Domain. However, for it to happen under Karyk's control, this was beyond his expectations.

He was surprised to know how strong he had become. Even though Karyk was still not at a level which could be a threat to him, but to know that his strength was growing so fast was worrying.

He wanted to go there personally. Unfortunately, he couldn't. Earth was in the midst of disaster and all the space around it was unstable.

He could face Karyk but just getting to him in this situation was the main problem.

A skill that could turn a world into their own domain... For a person to come up with such a skill was incredible on its own, no matter how weak that world was.

"As expected, he's still just as crazy as ever." In her mansion, the Goddess of Life was also taken aback. However, she didn't look scared. Instead, she had a smile on her face as if she was happy at this development.

"Keep growing at this rate. The more you grow, the more beneficial you'll be to me!" She muttered, revealing a rare smile on her face.

She had come to the Upper Realm in hopes of evolving to her perfect form as the true Master of Light. Unfortunately, she was never given such importance in the Upper Realm.

The Overlord of the Upper Realm never treated her any better than an ordinary subordinate. She was rarely granted the opportunities she asked for. It was so bad that even after a thousand years, she was still far away from her goal.

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even face the Generals of the Upper Realm Lord, let alone facing him personally.

Just as she was fretting over how long it was going to take her to achieve her goals at this speed, she sensed Karyk's presence on earth through the Grimoire clone she left behind as an inheritance and as a form of control over earth since she didn't believe she would've been able to return after leaving that place

As soon as she sensed Karyk's presence, she was shocked as well as elated. The opportunity she was waiting for was finally here!

She couldn't kill or harm the Lord of Upper Realm. However, there was one person who could! It was the person who had turned the Upper Realm upside down a thousand years ago.

Unfortunately, even for Karyk at his peak, it was hard to stand against the Lord of Upper Realm. That's why she decided to help him even further.

Since Karyk's soul was sealed in the body, his body was much less affected with the element of death compared to the past.

This was also the perfect opportunity for her to grant him her Element's basic access. It wasn't up to the point of her control but she still believed that it would've only made Karyk stronger!

She also knew Karyk hated her. However, thanks to the lack of his memories, he didn't even reject when she was granted him her element!

Even though she was also scared about his revenge, it was nothing before her crazed desire for an evolution.

No matter how strong Karyk became, he could only stand on an equal footing as the Upper Realm Overlord. If the two fought one day, it could only hurt the two of them, allowing her an opportunity to take advantage of the situation!

"I hope you won't disappoint me... Karyk. Also, don't hate me too much. You were born to be my pawn. You should be happy for this opportunity!"

"This is getting crazier than I expected." The Holy Lord of Wind still remained inside the Royal Capital of Arecia. He wasn't the least interested in joining the battle against Gabriel since he had a feeling that this wasn't going to go the way they all planned.

Unlike the other Holy Lords, he had been in contact with the Goddess of Wind and knew much more than the others.

Through the Goddess of Wind, he knew all too well the terror of Karyk! In fact, even though the Goddess of Wind was in the Upper Realm, far away from earth, he could still feel the trembling and fear in her voice when she talked about Karyk.

Thanks to that knowledge,he never dared to enter a conflict with Karyk. For him, his life was more important than anything. Moreover, it was stupid to join the losing cause.

undefinedInstead, now that the battle was almost over, he entered the Royal Palace to take action.

Currently, the only person close to him that he knew about was Avilia. He wanted to save her to show that he had no ill intentions.

Since most of the Templars had already left the Royal Palace to fight Gabriel, there were only ordinary guards left in the place. Taking care of ordinary guards was like child's play for him

There was no one in the Palace who could stop him. He was like the wind itself.

Within a few minutes, he entered the Royal Chamber where Avilia was sitting on her knees with her hands tied behind her back.

Avilia was really curious as to how the battle was going. She could only hear sounds of explosion or feel the trembling of grounds, along with a terrifying aura in the sky. However, she didn't know who that aura belonged to.

The shackles had sealed all her abilities, leaving her no different than an ordinary human as long as she was imprisoned.

"You seem to be enjoying your vacation in the Royal Palace."

Calm footsteps resounded at the entrance of the Royal Chamber. Avilia was slightly surprised to see the Holy Lord of Wind step out.

"Why are you here?" Avilia asked, frowning.

"Of course to save you. Why else?" The Holy Lord of the Wind answered. "I'd been waiting for an opportunity to sneak inside and free you. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy since I was on the radar of the Templars ever since I refused to join them against Gabriel."

"Why are you doing this? Why don't you side with them like everyone else?" Avilia inquired, not understanding what this guy was thinking.

"Are you that eager to see me die?" The Holy Lord of Wind chuckled. He snapped his fingers, destroying the shackles that had tied Avilia. "I just want to live in peace, taking no part in any conflict. You know how I am."

He reached out his hand to help Avilia up. However, Avilia didn't take his hands and pushed herself up on her own, even when her body was weak.

The Holy Lord of Wind awkwardly retracted his hand. "Are you worried about the situation on the battlefield?"

Avilia didn't answer. However, from her expressions, it was clear. All the Templars had gone to kill Gabriel after all. Even if it was her, she would've died a thousand times if she was faced with something like that, let alone Gabriel.

"You really underestimate him, don't you?" The Holy Lord of Wind could only shake his head lightly. "You probably already know his real identity. Let me tell you, he seems to be safe, albeit a little hurt. Moreover, the war is almost over."

"Huh?!" Avilia exclaimed in surprise.

"All the Templars that came to kill him have already died. All the Holy Lords who joined the war are also dead. The battle... It's almost over!" The Holy Lord of Wind walked toward the exit.

He could've broken the roof to leave, but he knew how much importance this city had for Gabriel. He didn't want to damage it and end up upsetting him. He still wanted to live after all.

Avilia followed him outside the palace, growing even more stunned to feel the aura of death everywhere! Even the sky had turned pitch black! It was as if a god was descending to this world!

Moreover, she also felt that her own element was slightly weaker in this world now. It was the same for the Holy Lord of Wind.

In this world, it had suddenly become much harder for them to use their elements to their still potential.

A war had destroyed the balance of elements in the past, granting abilities to others. However, another war seemed to have changed the situation entirely.

She flew high in the sky, looking at the Battlefield in the distance! Even from this distance, she could see that the entire battlefield had been painted red in blood!

Meanwhile in the Temple of Time, the Leader was sitting with a grim face.

It was just as he expected. The armies stood no chance before that demon who was even stronger than he used to be in the past!

He couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved that he hadn't joined that battle. However, he was also somewhat scared about the future if Gabriel's spell succeeded.

On the other hand, Lambard and his maid had already left the Battlefield right at the start. Even without his Numens, Lambard still had his maid who could use her abilities. She took him away from the battlefield, saving his life.

Lambard was assured that he would've been dead if he had stayed behind, next from the aftershocks.

The new equilibrium of the world was being broken. It was as if earth was separating from this universe, entering a dimension of its own... A dimension created by Gabriel. This was a change that even the true gods couldn't ignore!

Amidst all the cracks that were opening up in the sky, a pitch black void appeared!

A lightning bolt fell from the void as if it came straight from the seventh heaven.

The blinding flash made many people close their eyes. By the time they opened their eyes, they saw a proud figure standing in the distance.

All the Mages that were still alive went down on their knees, stopping all the attacks. Just the aura of that man alone was enough to make them tremble. The aura felt somewhat stronger than Gabriel!

It was as if a true god had arrived in the world of the mortals to stop the earth from being forced to separate from the natural laws of the universe. This kind of disturbance was something that could make the entire universe unstable after all.

"Stop immediately!" the man with silver hair ordered Gabriel in a thunderous voice that appeared to penetrate the heavens, just like the lightning bolt had. Despite this, Gabriel didn't listen as he continued to chant the prohibited spell.

Disregarding the commands of a deity he had never seen before, he persisted in preparing for an unattainable goal. A goal that was impossible for even the old him to attain. His personal Domain!

The silver haired man was taken aback slightly that his words were ignored so swiftly. Not only did the mortal before him try to break the balance of the universe, but he was doing it right before his eyes!

Generally, no matter what happened in this World of mortals, he never would've interfered since it was beneath his attention. Even the Upper Realm was ignored by him. However, this time, he couldn't ignore it.

A person domain as vast as a world was something that not many people had in this universe. Only some great gods were capable of doing something like that after all. To think that a man who wasn't even twenty years old was able to do something like this was indeed shocking.

undefined"If you don't stop, I'll be forced to kill you myself!" The man exclaimed with a cold voice.

Unfortunately, Gabriel still didn't care. He was completely focused on the world tier spell to think about anything else. As for his own protection, he didn't have much. He only had a simple soul barrier before him.

The silver haired man grew even more angry as he was ignored once again.

"Since you've made up your mind to die, then I'll fulfill your desires, before our Prince gets here."

The man raised his hand. The reality around him itself started falling apart as a pitch black lightning trident appeared above his head.

As soon as he clenched his fist, the lightning trident shot ahead, erasing everything in its path from existence, leaving only a deep void whenever it passed through.

The black trident clashed with the Soul Barrier.

The soul barrier which remained unbroken even when facing thousands of attacks previously shattered while the souls were disintegrated by the lightning, surrounded by their screeching.

With the soul barrier broken, there was nothing left between the trident and Gabriel who was chanting his spell.

Fortunately, just as it looked as if he was about to be hit, his bracelet tracted! The Worldly Shackles unraveled themselves, increasing in size before circling around Gabriel like a snake, taking him in its protection.

The trident was made with the powers of a true god. It was something that couldn't be stopped. However, the Worldly Shackles didn't hesitate to protect Gabriel.

After absorbing the aura of death for over a thousand years, the worldly shackles were also something that weren't ordinary anymore.

As the dark trident clashed with the Worldly Shackles, a loud impact took place. It was as if the sky roared in rage. Winds flew backwards from the impacts, sending back all the bodies in the group nearby.

Only Gabriel and the silver haired man were left standing where they were. Even the other mages who were alive were sent flying back, coughing out blood.

The silver haired man had a slight frown on his face. For something in this mortal world to have blocked his attack...? Even though he only used a fraction of his strength behind that attack, but still it should've been impossible!

His trident was destroyed, turning into flickers of lightning. However, the Worldly Shackles weren't in any good condition either. Cracks spread all around the worldly Shackles. It was as if they were so fragile now that they couldn't even stop a hit of an ordinary Sword without breaking apart.

It was even more surprising that the worldly shackles hadn't fallen apart already.

The silver haired man raised his hand once again. However, this time he didn't hold back anymore. His eyes turned a deep silver as an aura surrounded him that made even the space around him tremble.

He raised his right hand. The pitch black trident appeared again. However, this time, there wasn't just one! There were over hundreds of such tridents above him! Moreover, each of those tridents appeared to be stronger than what he had created in the past.

"Those who break the world's authority need to die!" The silver haired man clenched his fist. The black tridents all shot ahead at once.

The Worldly Shackles once again covered Gabriel, even though it was obvious that they couldn't protect him.

It was as if everything was another to be over soon.

Boom~

The Worldly Shackles broke apart as soon as the first trident hit them. It broke into small pieces that couldn't do anything. At the same time, thousands of pitch black tridents fell.

One after another, all the tridents impaled Gabriel's body. The chanting of the World Spell finally stopped.

The silver haired man didn't reveal any emotions. It was as if this wasn't a surprising outcome. A mortal could never stand against them.

He turned around, to open a void before him to return. However, it was only now that his face revealed a strange expression. He was unable to open the void at all!

Even despite being a true god, he wasn't able to manipulate the laws of this world accordingly! It was as if this world... Had escaped the authority of this universe!

Frowning, he looked back. How was it possible? Was the spell completed? Even if it was completed, then so what? After Gabriel's death, this world should've returned to where it was supposed to be. It didn't make sense.

He looked at Gabriel's body that was barely standing with all the lightning tridents that were inside his body. Something appeared amiss. Unfortunately, he couldn't put a finger on it.

Just as he was lost in thoughts, he saw Gabriel open his eyes. The Holy Grimoire does down again, shrouding him in the blessing of this world that he had taken to make this world his domain.

One after another, Gabriel pulled out all the tridents from his body, tossing them on the ground.

His face was still pale since he had used a spell that was beyond his control with barely any chance of success. However, despite all that, he still managed to succeed!

Now this entire world was his Domain! It was something akin to the Nether Realm! The only difference was that it was his! Here, he could use his abilities to the fullest, despite not being a true god yet! It was as if the world conditions allowed him to break the rules placed on his strength!

As Gabriel pulled out more and more tridents, blood kept gushing out of his wounds. However, he still didn't reveal any expressions of pain.

His eyes remain fixed on the silver haired man in the distance. The man was very strong! It wasn't wrong to say that he was a true god. However, he didn't remember hearing about such a man even in the upper realm!

The man was definitely not a General of the Upper Realm and he certainly wasn't the Lord of Upper Realm. Unless something major had changed in the last thousand years that he didn't know about.

Since this place was now his Domain, it didn't matter even if he was before a true god! As long as one was within his domain, there were a lot of restrictions on their strength! One such restriction was that their strength couldn't be more than the Lord of this Domain!

This was also why the Lord of Upper Realm was able to rule without worrying about someone becoming stronger and backstabbing him.

undefinedAt best, the people in his domain could have a strength level that was equal to his.

Thanks to such laws, as soon as he finished the World Level Spell, the silver haired man's strength was restricted to a level that was comparable to Gabriel.

"It's quite rude to attack someone who's in the midst of chanting." Gabriel calmly spoke as a trickle of blood droplets came down his lips. His voice didn't contain even a single trace of the pain he was constantly feeling.

The silver haired man only frowned in response. He could feel that this entire world was much different than it used to be when he came here. The spell was successful! The entire world felt like someone's domain.

He could also feel that this world was restricting how much strength he could use on its own.

"You succeeded, it seems." The Silver-haired man frowned. "I really underestimated you. I should've gone all out from the start!"

Gabriel didn't respond. He only stood in his place while his wounds slowly healed. His body was still poisoned which made his healing slightly slower. However, thanks to the man's lightning that was coursing through his blood, he had managed to cleanse almost all the poison.

"Even though you've succeeded, if you think that you can survive, then you're very wrong. Even if my strength is restricted to your level in this world, it's more than enough for me to kill you ten more times!" The silver haired man coldly stated. His fists tightened as a pitch black Lightning Armor formed all around his body.

At the same time, he also brought out a sword that Gabriel had never seen before. Even though the man couldn't use the strength of a true god level being, but he still had his treasures from before, that could defy this limit!

The sword that he carried was a true god level item. Just the aura of the sword alone was threatening. It was as if the sword came straight from heaven itself.

The world had gone silent. Only the roars of lightning around that long sword could be heard on the battlefield.

Gabriel had no weapon at that level. Even the sword he used in the past was only Demigod level, that wasn't even close to his current level, let alone being comparable to a true god level item.

As for the worldly shackles, it was shattered to pieces already.

The pieces of the worldly shackles were lying near Gabriel's feet, as if they were nothing but broken metal chunks.

"Thank you for helping me..." Gabriel muttered, going down on one knee, placing his fingers around the metal pieces of the shackles. "You gave me enough time to succeed. In return, I shall grant you a new life to see the world in a new way "

The worldly aura that he had gathered after turning the world into his own domain wasn't of much use to him. It couldn't increase his strength since many elements conflicted with what he possessed. Even if he forcefully absorbed them, it could've only made things worse by conflicting with his aura of death.

On the other hand, the conflict of auras wasn't a problem for an artifact at all!

He transferred the auras of the other elements that he had taken in while refining the world, including the elements of other gods that were of no use to him.

pĪ±ŠædĪ±-ňį“Ī½ĆŖ|Ā·ŃĆ³Šœ One after another, all these auras rushed inside the broken metal pieces that already had the aura of death that had been refined for over a thousand years by them.

The metal pieces started trembling with the terrifying amount of elements that were rushing in. In fact, even if Gabriel had tried it on himself, he understood that death would've been the only outcome. A human's body was much different than a lifeless weapon.

The metal pieces absorbed the aura greedily as they started flying in the air! It also appeared as if the metal pieces were melting, thanks to the destructive energy. The pieces melted into the form of liquid and joined together, before soon taking a new shape...

The black liquid that was brimming with power took the shape of a sharp sword that had multiple symbols carved on the blade! As for those symbols... They were the symbols of other elements!

Even though there were many Elemental symbols on the blade, there was only one symbol on the hilt... The symbol of the element of death!

Even though it appeared as if a long time had passed in the entire process, in reality, it only took less than a second under Gabriel's control.

Within a second, the broken metal chunks were refined into a sharp sword that didn't lack in comparison to the sword aura of the silver haired man.

What was even better was that the sword had maintained its old consciousness that even many True God Tier weapons didn't possess! It was thanks to the thousand years of loneliness and deaths that the shackles went through in order to gain that consciousness.

Even though the silver haired man revealed a look of surprise with how Gabriel created his weapon, he understood that it was also because Gabriel was inside his domain. Under his domain, his control had improved a lot.

"Are you from the Upper Realm?" Gabriel grabbed the hilt of his sword, feeling the strength of a weapon of such caliber for the first time in his life.

He was quite curious about the identity of the silver haired man, along with the ones whose fight had caused the Nether Realm to fall in the past.

"Are you from the Upper Realm?" Gabriel asked. However, the silver haired man didn't respond and attacked right away.

His figure flickered, appearing right next to Gabriel instantly as he swung his sword.

Gabriel raised his sword, blocking the attack. However, even then, he was pushed a few steps back just from the impact. He could feel that when it came to raw strength, he was slightly lacking compared to the silver haired man. However, his strength wasn't his speciality.

The battle moved all throughout the battlefield as the two figures appeared and disappeared all over. Clashing of weapons could be heard like the rumbling of skies. At the same time, Gabriel also took advantage of his unique spells.

As he weaved his incantations, the ground below their feet began to shake, making it difficult for his opponent to maintain balance. The silver haired man stumbled for a moment, giving Gabriel the opening he needed to strike.

undefinedHis sword glinted in the sunlight as he lunged forward, aiming for his opponent's chest. The silver-haired man managed to deflect the attack, but Gabriel was already in motion, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Despite his lack of physical strength in comparison to the silver haired man, Gabriel's speed and skill with a blade made him a formidable opponent.

The two continued to dance around each other, blades clashing and sparks flying. Gabriel could feel his heart pounding in his chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he focused intently on his opponent's every move.

He was a mage from start to the end. However, fighting with swords was certainly a new experience that was very enjoyable, even though he was fighting against a person who wanted to kill him!

He had just created the Elemental Sword. He didn't have any experience with that Sword so this battle allowed him to grasp the battle experience with the sword.

The silver-haired man was clearly skilled, yet Gabriel was determined to emerge victorious, but not before using the silver haired man to train himself through this battle.

The clang of their swords echoed as the two entered the forest without even realizing.

Sword wounds were all around their bodies yet none of them cared. At the moment, they weren't fighting like mages at all. Even if they used magic, they used it through their swords.

Moving through the silent forest, they circled each other, waiting for an opening. Gabriel blocked his opponent's strike and counterattacked with a swift slash, leaving a seven colored arc wherever his Sword passed through.

Through the strength of the Sword, he could feel that even the space was constantly breaking apart. He could also feel that for some reason, his sword also contained some traces of Element of Time, maybe because it was used in the battlefield by the Temple of Time.

The silver haired man who had an advantage in strength and skills at the start started getting pushed back instead, as Gabriel grew more accustomed to this kind of battle.

Raphael was injured yet he didn't stop working. Now that Gabriel was busy with his own battle, Raphael decided to take care of the rest who had survived.

Flames burned around his fist as he stepped towards the few mages who were sent flying by the massive winds created from the impact of the battle.

Gabriel understood how dangerous the Nether Realm was. It was a place where he shouldn't use Spiritual Elements. However, it was different for a True God Tier sword. The only reason he wanted to train with this sword was because of the Nether Realm where he wanted to go again.

If he could take care of most of the trouble with the Sword there, it was enough for him to save plenty of his spiritual aura for true emergencies.

"This should be enough for experience..." In the distance, Gabriel finally nodded in satisfaction.

Most of his wounds had also healed in the meantime.

After half an hour focusing entirely on the sword fight and finally grew seriously.

A pitch black mist came out of the ground. Under the mist, the silver haired man felt as if his speed had slowed down a lot.

Boom~

He used his Lightning to blow away the dark aura. However, thanks to this place being Gabriel's Domain, it was almost impossible to cancel his spell with just a comparable attention.

Multiple shackles came out of the ground, even as lightning crackled in the surrounding, wrapping around the silver haired man's legs.

At the same time, multiple explosions resounded in the vicinity as the evil spirits flew straight to the silver haired man, only exploding when they touched him.

Multiple explosions made the man's skin burn. However, for some reason, his clothes were still intact. Only his face appeared to be half burned.

The silver haired man was furious. For the first time, he had suffered like this.

pĪ±ŠædĪ±-ňį“Ī½ĆŖ|Ā·ŃĆ³Šœ Unfortunately, before he could even counterattack, he felt something cold touching his neck.

Amidst the dark mist, and all the explosions, he had failed to keep an eye on his surroundings. However, it was only now that he felt something was wrong, wondering why he suddenly felt so cold around his neck.

Frowning, he looked in the distance. Gabriel was standing calmly with his sword lowered. However, there was some blood on his sword now.

A thin red line spread across the silver haired man's neck. He went silent, slowly raising his fingers to touch his neck. Unfortunately, just as his fingers were about to touch his neck, the entire world turned upside down for him.

His head rolled on the ground, still in disbelief. A true god's body wasn't something that could be cut that easily. Even the weapon that could kill a god was supposed to be cursed because of a true god's blood!

However, despite being the first time, Gabriel's sword killed him, and that too, in such a manner that he couldn't believe it.

When Gabriel started using spells, he had thought that he was stopping using his sword since it was useless. It was only now that he realized it was because of that statement, he lowered his guard.

Unfortunately, it was too late to change anything. A true god had fallen here! His body soon followed, falling on the ground.

Gabriel moved closer to the body of the young man, still holding onto the Sword.

"First time I've killed a true god. Even though it's because of this domain and that his strength was limited to a realm similar to mine, but still... This experience..."

He couldn't help but glance at his Sword that was still trembling.

Gabriel could feel that his sword was trembling in pain. It has killed a True God and was suffering the side effects. Fortunately, this was his domain.

Gabriel could easily sever the cause and effect in his domain since this world was now not under the control of the universe. It was his own world! A world where he was a god!

He bit his finger lightly, placing a drop on his Sword.

Only when his own blood fell on the sword did the Sword stop trembling and calmed down.

"Looks like I've found a new name for you. I wonder if you'll like it," he smiled, glancing at the sword in his hand. "...Godslayer."

undefinedThe sword had a consciousness of its own. As soon as it heard the name, it buzzed lightly as if it was happy with the name it was granted.

"Glad you liked it. Though today is a first for many things for me." Gabriel dropped on his knees, feeling extremely tired.

Even he didn't realize how he had managed to do all this. He fought so many people, and then cast a world level spell to turn this World into his domain and then even fought a true god!

It was only thanks to his strong will that he kept going, even when he had no strength left.

"One wrong step and I would've died. Hah..." He knew how low the chances of making this world into his own domain were.

Even if he had full control of his Element, the chances of success were still only seventy percent, let alone at present where the chances were only thirty percent.

Still, he somehow succeeded, there to all sacrifices he had offered in this war! Millions had died! Their souls became the necessary fuel for his success!

Gabriel reached out his hand, placing it on the man's chest. He had many souls in his Grimoire, but he didn't have a single soul of a true god! He wondered just what kind of changes he could experience if he absorbed a true god's soul.

As soon as he placed his hand on the silver haired man's chest, multiple small specks of light came out of the man's body that flew straight into the Grimoire that had flown closer.

All those specks of light that represented the soul of the silver haired man were absorbed by the Forbidden Grimoire.

After absorbing the soul, Gabriel felt like storing the body in his Grimoire as well. He had never made an undead from the body of a true god. However, in his Domain, he felt that he had a chance to succeed.

He wanted to try it as soon as he recovered.

However, just as he was about to send the body in his Grimoire, he frowned, looking into the distance. He had a strange feeling. It was as if someone was looking at him from some faraway place.

This feeling was really bizarre and strange. However, it was hard to find the onlooker easily.

Fortunately, in his Domain, nothing was hidden from him. He calmly located the source of the disturbance and looked straight in that direction.

He didn't know who was looking at him, but the energy felt different from the Upper Realm or the Nether Realm. However, he still didn't allow anyone to spy on him.

He raised his right hand, crushing his fist, sealing the entire space around him, cutting the connection of this place with whatever treasure was used to spy on him.

He didn't know if he could destroy that treasure this way, but his first priority was to deal with all the spies!

It was only after dealing with the strange feeling of being spied on that he kept the body in his Grimoire before finally falling on the ground in the middle of the forest, looking at the clouded sky.

His breathing was heavy and his face was slightly pale. However, after a long time, he felt this serene atmosphere. It was as if this place was finally safe. All the threats were dealt with... for now.

Gabriel remained still for two hours, only resting on the fallen leaves. His entire body was aching. It had been a long time since he felt such exhaustion ever since he first received his element. In fact, even in the last great war, he didn't feel this exhausted.

It was as if even moving a single finger was difficult for the time being.

Gabriel only rested in the forest, feeling the gentle breeze brushing against him.

"It is like you killed him."

After some time, Gabriel heard a voice. He didn't even need to look around to know who it was.

"I suppose you dealt with the rest?" he asked.

Raphael came closer, nodding.

He reached out his hand to help Gabriel up. "Don't tell me you want to stay there all day long."

"Let me stay like that." Gabriel smiled lightly. It had been a long time since he felt so light amidst the constant troubles. He wanted to just stay here and let this feeling sink in, while also recovering his strength.

His Godslayer was also lying right next to him. Raphael could feel the strength emitting from the sword. For some reason, the aura of the sword felt even stronger than when it was made by Gabriel! It was as if through this battle, it had become stronger.

"I suppose you're curious about my real identity or why so many people wanted to kill me?" Gabriel inquired, already expecting what was in Raphael's mind. He hadn't told him anything about his real self.

Despite that, when Raphael was asked, he joined the battle without a single question about why there was such a battle in the first place. That had somewhat impressed Gabriel.

Even though Raphael didn't respond, Gabriel started telling him about his past. He only mentioned things briefly, and even hid some details about his personal life that he didn't want others to know.

He only told Raphael why there were so many people who wanted to kill him, and about his rebirth.

All this new information was hard to believe for Raphael but he knew that it was the only explanation that made sense. For him to become so strong in such a short time wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

"Do you have anything else you want to know?" Gabriel asked.

Raphael went silent for a moment. However, after a few moments, he finally spoke. "The Reaper of the Undead Realm... Did he work for you?"

Some unexplainable emotions flickered through Raphael's eyes, mixed with some anger as he asked.

"He doesn't work for me." Gabriel lazily answered. "Though you can say that we do know each other a bit. Do you have any enmity with him?"

Raphael frowned, but didn't answer. He chose to believe Gabriel's words.

Even though he didn't say anything, Gabriel had a feeling that there was some unexplainable past between Raphael and the reaper. From what he could guess, it was something related to the Undead Realm.

However, no matter what, he chose to not interfere between the two.

"I'll leave it to you two to solve the mess between you. However, if you do need some help, you can always tell me. Now let me sleep... I feel like I'll die if I don't get enough rest."

undefinedpĪ±ŠædĪ±-ňį“Ī½ĆŖ|Ā·ŃĆ³Šœ With Raphael's presence in this place, Gabriel felt pretty safe. With how the world was changed, there was currently no one in this world who could trouble him here.

"If you're that sleepy, shouldn't you sleep in your castle?"

Just as Gabriel closed his eyes, he heard another voice. Alion also arrived in the forest.

Even though he had been waiting to join the battle with Gabriel, he didn't. He followed the instructions of Gabriel and stayed where he was supposed to be. However, now that the battle was over, he couldn't wait anymore.

Jia could also be seen accompanying him. "The rumors about you weren't wrong. To think that you ended the battle so soon."

Raphael stepped between Alion and Gabriel. He hadn't seen the two before but he could feel that these two were slightly dangerous.

Alion could only smile in response. "Don't worry. I don't have a death wish to even think about hurting him."

"I don't want to die either." Jia also chimed in. She had just seen what Gabriel was capable of. No matter what, she had promised herself that she was never going to stand against him.

Gabriel was someone who had achieved impossible feats one after another. She still couldn't believe that he had turned this place into a Domain.

"Since you two have so much time to talk, help me with one thing." Gabriel opened his sleepy eyes, glancing at Alion. "Take care of all the aftermath."

"I understand what you mean." Alion nodded. Suddenly, all the mages in this World were gone. Moreover, all the elements had weakened to the extent that they weren't a threat to him at all. But still, the people of this world were probably still scared about the sudden changes.

Alion knew he had to take care of this mess so the next few weeks could be peaceful and everyone understood that the world had changed owners.

He placed his hand on Jia's head. "Let's go, little crazy one. We have lots of work to do."

"Hmph." Jia slapped Alion's hands away. "You're the only crazy one here."

For the next two days, information spread about what happened on the battlefield at a rapid pace. However, to make sure that there were no unexpected situations, Alion and Jia kept an oversight on everything.

Thanks to the efforts of the Temple of Time and the Churches, all the people in this world considered Gabriel to be a demon reincarnated. It wasn't easy to make them change their opinions so fast.

Early morning on the third day, Gabriel finally opened his eyes, waking up from his two day long slumber.

He felt so refreshed, as if he had recovered completely. There was still a wound mark on his chest that he had received from the Nether Sword. Fortunately, there was nothing that could affect him adversely.

As Gabriel woke up, he found that Raphael was still sitting next to him, with his back resting against a tree trunk.

Raphael had been keeping watch over Gabriel, making sure that he was safe and secure throughout his time of rest.

Gabriel sat up and stretched, feeling his strength returning. "Did something happen while I was asleep?"

Raphael shook his head in response. "Nothing worth mentioning."

Gabriel didn't react much. He knew that the chances of another true god coming to this domain were almost negligible. Thanks to the changed world laws, the true gods were much weaker in this domain. They wouldn't have taken the risk of coming here ever since he completed refining this world.

"We're going back. It's time I free the rest." Gabriel raised his hand, opening a spatial portal before him.

His eyes revealed a look of anticipation and expectation about what he had to do next. He was going to finally free his army that had supported him in his last life.

Since he was mostly alone in his last life, other than Alion, his undead soldiers were the closest he had to his family, just like Raphael was currently. Moreover, he was also somewhat interested in seeing his sister.

Even though he knew that his sister was not the same person she used to be in the past, without a single shred of her memories, it was still a strange feeling to finally have another family member in this world.

Gabriel entered the spatial portal before him. Raphael also walked behind him, passing through the portal.

In another place, near the center of the City, another portal opened up. Two people stepped out of the portal. Gabriel looked more or less like an ordinary mortal with not even a single shred of his aura leaking.

On the other hand, Raphael also didn't look like an undead. Even though his face was slightly pale, after seeing the members of the Temple of Time, no one looked at pale faces suspiciously.

In any case, there weren't many people outside. In the last two days, the world had more or less come to a halt as people were yet to come to terms with what had happened!

Uncaring about his surroundings, Gabriel only gazed at the beautiful palace before him that was now standing where the Garden of Legacy used to be!

His castle alone looked more magnificent and dominating than the Royal Palace of Arecia!

Moreover, thanks to all the security mechanisms in this place, not many people could approach this place unless they had a death wish.

In his absence, Alion had been managing the workings of Arecia. Fortunately, he could lead Arecia's handling to Avilia who was now free and in the Royal Palace, taking care of the mess while Alion focused on other Empires.

"It feels like I was there just yesterday when this place used to be so different... In the blink of an eye, a thousand years have passed..." Gabriel muttered, still remembering that in the past, not a single person used to even dare settle in this area.

However, now there was a complete Empire around his castle!

Gabriel stepped closer to his castle. All the traps, and dangers that not many people could avoid were in place. However, since it was Gabriel in the lead, none of the traps activated! An illusory bridge also appeared over the bloody river of evil souls.

Gabriel and Raphael walked over the bridge, swiftly reaching the entrance of the castle that used to be the most forbidden place in the past for other people.

"I'm back home." Gabriel pushed the door opening, finally taking a step inside his old home.

The interiors of the castle hadn't been cleaned in a thousand years yet they were still spotless. Hundreds of undead stood on the first floor, trapped in Shackles that had sealed them. However, they all suddenly opened their eyes, as they felt the true presence of their monarch!

Even though it was painful for them to move under the effect of the seal, they all turned toward Gabriel, going down on one knee, as if they were greeting their Emperor.

undefinedRaphael was also stunned by the phenomenon! All the people here were undead! Moreover, not a single person was weaker than him! This kind of army... It was impossible to even imagine!

What was even more bizarre was that he could see a few people who appeared to be of the same species as him! The Ancestors of his clan!

He was still in disbelief! His ancestors that were said to be all powerful also worked for Gabriel?! Moreover, with the devotion in their eyes, it didn't look like they were forced to work either! They truly believed in Gabriel!

He had always been thinking that everyone from his clan had died and he was the last person from his clan who was still alive. However, strangely enough, just in this castle alone, there were over twenty people from his clan.

"Rise..." Gabriel raised his hand gracefully. It was as if he was back a thousand years in time. He wasn't Gabriel in this place. Instead, he was Karyk!

"I've trapped you into this place for a thousand years to save the life of a person I hold dear. However, it's time for you to be free and once again walk this earth freely!"

Gabriel raised his hand in the air. Thousands of thin illusory threads came out of his hands, all attaching to the sealing chains that had maintained themselves for a thousand years.

Crack~

Crack~

One after another, the cracking sound of all the chains responded in the huge hallway.

Within a few minutes, all the sealing chains shattered. His entire army was free of the shackles!

He could only imagine what his soldiers felt being sealed in this dark place for a thousand years. However, since he was connected to them, he knew that none of them had any resentment toward him!

All of them had accepted his decision without a single question and remained here for a thousand years, despite having consciousness.

He still remembered the day when he had sealed his army. He told everyone in his army what he was going to do and why he was going to do it.

Moreover, he had also offered them all a choice! If they didn't want to be sealed, they could leave his army and go back where they came from, having no relation with him! His promise was only to seal his army after all. Once the soldiers left him, they didn't count as his people.

However, strangely enough, all of them decided to say! That kind of loyalty was surprising, even though he was the one who gave them a new life!

The consciousness of his undead wasn't under his control. He had allowed them the ability to think freely, only keeping certain controls for himself. For example, the soldiers could decide what to do in case of emergency.

However, even with free will, they couldn't scheme against him. Other than that, there were not many restrictions that he had placed on the Undeads since he treated them like his army and not just puppets!

For the world, Karyk used to be a tyrant who was an emotionless being that could kill anyone standing in his path without blinking an eye. However, to his soldiers, he was their master... A master that they could give their lives for!

As all the undead were freed, they could finally move without any pain. However, they all still remained on one knee before Gabriel, as if welcoming their overlord back after a thousand years!

Even though Gabriel had come here a few weeks ago, but he hadn't completely awakened and the Undeads could also sense it! This time, it was his true return!

Gabriel told them all to stand up. He had already told them many times in the past to never do such formalities since he didn't care about such. However, these guys never listened when it came to this.

All the Undeads stood up after being given Gabriel's permission to stand.

Karyk's undead army had multiple generals that led a certain section of his army.

For the mages in his army, the General was an undead Lich King. The Lich King was also one of the strongest members of the army! He was also the first Undead that Karyk had controlled, right after he created the Army of Undead Spell!

That also made the Lich King the oldest member in Karyk's Undead Army! Moreover, the Lich King was so strong that the Lich Gabriel faced on the way to the Nether Realm couldn't even be compared to him!

Another General of his army was the Damphir King, who was half vampire. The Damphir King controlled the smallest section of the Undead Army, but all the men under him were extremely skilled. Thanks to their skills and speed, they were said to be the perfect assassins.

In total, Gabriel had seven Undead Kings of the past era, working under him as Generals. Raphael's ancestor was one of those Undead Kings.

"Two new members will be joining the army from today." Gabriel broke the long period of silence, gesturing to Raphael to step forward.

Raphael's ancestor's eyes lit up to see a descendant here! He felt relieved that his descendants were still strong enough to attract the attention of their monarch.

Gabriel assigned Raphael to work with his Ancestor.

After that, he brought out the Silver Haired undead from the Nether Realm who was never seen in this world. None of the Undeads in his army recognized such an existence. They couldn't even feel a trace of spirituality from this person.

They were really curious about where this person came from.

Gabriel left Raphael and Dren behind with his army before going upstairs so the two sides could talk and get to know each other better.

There was some anticipation in his eyes, along with some curiosity about how his first real meeting with his sister was going to go. All he knew was that his sister didn't have her old memories but he didn't know anything about what kind of personality she was going to have now that she had returned from the dead.

The Floor where his sister was, used to be dark and foggy. However, ever since his sister had come to live, Alion had taken care of the floor and the surroundings.

The dim floor that used to be filled with blood red mist was now bright, full of cheerful vibe. In fact, it was hard to distinguish this floor from an ordinary floor in some human palace. It had everything one needed to live in luxury.

There was a barrier at the entrance of the floor which prevented people inside from leaving. It was created by Alion since he was worried that Karyk's sister might get bored here and try to leave, only to be scared at the sight of all the Undeads on the ground floor.

undefinedNo matter how strong that barrier was, it wasn't strong enough to stop Gabriel who easily passed through it like it was nothing.

After passing through the barrier, Gabriel finally saw what interior changes Alion had made to this place.

Initially, Karyk wasn't interested in such human luxuries, which was why his Palace used to be much darker, lacking many things. However, the entire look of this place was changed so much so that he couldn't even recognise this place anymore.

Multiple rooms were created on the floor, along with a hallway that connected to them all. Many more places, like a beautiful garden and such were also created in this place.

However, more than the interiors of the Floor, Gabriel was interested in his sister. Even though she was a new person and not the sister he knew in the past, it was still a strange feeling.

He went to the garden where he could feel the presence of his sister.

Opening the door, he entered the garden and finally got the first glimpse of the beautiful garden.

The beautiful garden was filled with colorful flowers, tall trees, and a small pond in the center. Gabriel's sister was sitting by the pond, quietly gazing at the water, looking at the colorful fishes in the pond that could be seen jumping occasionally.

As Gabriel approached her, he couldn't help but feel some strange unfamiliar emotions of

"This is a beautiful garden." Gabriel said softly, stopping right next to his sister while trying to process his feelings.

His sister turned to him, slightly surprised that there was another person here! She couldn't remember anything about her past and only had memories of a few weeks.

In those memories, she only remembered meeting Alion who told her a few things. Alion told her that she had been in an accident and lost her memories. He didn't go into any details. However, he also didn't forget to tell her that she had a brother who was going to come meet her soon.

The girl who looked to be in her late teens wanted to leave this place and see outside. However, she wasn't able to. It was as if some mysterious force was trying to stop her. Moreover, she had been waiting for Alion to return. As for her so-called brother... No matter how much she waited, no one came.

Initially, when she heard the voice next to her, she subconsciously thought that Alion had returned. However, the voice didn't match which made her turn her face.

As she looked to her side, she saw a young man who appeared to be barely twenty years old. He had a beautiful black robe on his back. His attire was so fascinating that it was as if he was a Prince of some big Dynasty.

Gabriel's face was also very attractive and he looked much more handsome than Alion. What was even more alluring were his deep beautiful eyes that appeared to have seen through all the deceptions in this world.

"B-brother?" She subconsciously asked, standing up.

"Hmm?" Gabriel couldn't help but frown, surprised that she knew him. He couldn't help but wonder if she still remembered her past.

"He said I have a brother and he will come to meet me. Are you my brother?" The girl asked, raising her eyes to look at Gabriel more carefully.

Hearing her response, Gabriel finally understood what happened. It was probably Alion who told her. She couldn't actually remember him and only took a guess based on the information she previously received.

Gabriel could only innocently smile in response, patting the head of his younger sister.

Even though it looked like brotherly love, making him pat her head but Gabriel had another reason.

With his hands on his sister's head, he subtly cast tens of spells on her body, all being protective spells! With these spells, he was sure that as long as his sister was in this World, nothing could harm her!

"I made you wait long, didn't I?" Since Gabriel had been without a family in his last and current life, he had no experience on how to deal with emotions or how to properly talk to dear ones.

Even though he wasn't overly emotional after seeing his sister, all the memories of their past still rushed in on his head, making him lose himself in the memories for a moment.

Since the girl didn't have any memories, even she didn't know how to react, or how long she had supposedly waited. However, she felt a strange feeling deep within... A feeling of closeness with Gabriel. She didn't doubt him for even a single moment. She could feel that he was precious to her.

Unfortunately, she couldn't remember anything. Tears fell out as her eyes got wet. She felt so lost.

Gabriel noticed her tears and immediately responded. "Don't worry. You have a long life before you, to make more memories. No one will be allowed to hurt you this time."

His sister didn't know why, but she felt so comfortable just hearing Gabriel speak. She wiped her tears, but they kept coming. For the next ten minutes, her crying only intensified. Even she didn't know why she was crying so much, as she hugged her brother tightly.

It was as if she could still feel some subconscious fear, even though she didn't remember anything. And only in the presence of her brother did she feel safe

Gabriel spent the entire next week inside his palace, spending time with his sister who was starting to feel lonely.

He handled all his work from within his palace. Throughout this week, Alion and Jia came to visit him to brief him about the outside world, and how they were managing the commotion caused by the sudden change.

Throughout this week, Gabriel's sister had become even more cheerful. Her eyes were bright and full of expectations.

Moreover, when she found out that there were mages in this world, and that her brother was the strongest mage amongst them, she couldn't even believe initially, until Gabriel showed her some magic.

Within this one week, the situation in this world had more or less settled. Everyone already understood that the world had changed. The era of the churches was gone and now there was only one person who truly ruled over this world.

undefinedThe Holy Lord of Wind also visited, along with Avilia. He had been weakened a lot, since his element was weakened in this world, almost cutting off his access to magic. However, he was still happy that he was at least alive. As for magic, it wasn't as if he couldn't use it at all.

Since he hadn't joined the war against him, and even helped Avilia, Gabriel didn't care too much about the Holy Lord of Wind and let him be free, but not before warning him to not do anything stupid in the future.

In this one week, almost every piece had fallen into its place.

Gabriel had also arranged for materials needed to create bodies for Cylix and Novius. Unfortunately, it was going to take almost a month for those bodies to be created in such a way that Cylix and Novius could use their old magic again.

At the end of the week, after making sure that the situation in the outside world was truly stable, Gabriel allowed his sister to finally go out of the Palace whenever she wanted. He had already assigned some shadow guards to protect her if needed.

At the same time, his sister had also gotten close to Avilia for some reason. In fact, at times, even he didn't know what the two talked about since they completely cut him off from their conversation.

He didn't care too much about that either. However, he was somewhat perplexed by the fact that even when they talked secretly in the distance, the two occasionally looked at him, as if they were talking about him.

All in all, Gabriel had a peaceful time now that he had turned this world into a safe domain. It was something he wanted to do for a long time and only succeeded just now.

Despite everything being so peaceful, he knew that it was only temporary. He couldn't stay in his domain forever. There were more things he had to do! He had to kill many more people... Everyone who schemed against him in the past, he wanted to crush them right under his feet!

Unfortunately, the protection of his domain didn't extend to the Upper Realm so he knew that it was dangerous. He needed more help.

Jia had come down from the Upper Realm so she was perfect to be his guide while Alion and the others protected his domain in his absence. But there was another person that Gabriel thought he needed... Someone who he hadn't talked to in a long time.

Gabriel rubbed his temple, slightly frowning as he thought about it. In his life, he had made many wrong decisions that he regretted.

After giving his sister permission to leave the place whenever she wanted, he finally departed from the castle after a week-long rest.

As he stepped out of the Palace, he noticed that the atmosphere had actually changed in comparison to last week. While streets were completely empty in the past and everyone was full of fear, many people could be seen on the streets now.

Cities had started to open. Humans were very versatile. After understanding that the situation was stable, they had finally started to live their lives the old way... At least to some extent.

Most of the mages had died, but that didn't really affect ordinary humans at all.

Unfortunately, some people were still cautious and preferred to stay indoors as much as possible, even now. That small percentage of people didn't matter though.

Walking on the streets undetected, Gabriel noticed that the city was very lively now. From street performers to cafes and shops, everything was bustling with energy as people enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the fresh air.

He felt a sense of intrigue to see that life had returned to normal after being disrupted like that. As he continued to walk, he couldn't help but notice the little moments of joy that he saw people experiencing - a young couple holding hands, a child running after a butterfly, an old man enjoying his coffee. It was a reminder of how capable humans truly were.

He was somewhat glad that the world had returned to its normal pace. Moreover, there was no need for anyone to worry about any future wars! The hunt for the dark mages had also ended. No one had to kill their family members just because they awakened the wrong element.

Gabriel had changed this world into something that he truly wanted to see. He had kept his promise to Cylix and Novius that he had made in the Tower of Challenges. Now no one like him had to be backstabbed by their own friends. No one like him had to run and hide from mages, only to survive, even though they committed no wrong.

There were many people who had died before this could be achieved, including the Saint Knight and the Duke who worked right under him. However, reality had finally changed into something beautiful and peaceful.

No one noticed that the overlord that had changed this world was walking amidst themselves on the streets, noticing every small change that occured.

In the midst of the crowd, Gabriel soon disappeared, as if he was never truly there in the first place. No one noticed his absence either, aa if he was a ghost.

After disappearing from the Royal City, Gabriel appeared in the depths of a distant valley that used to be called another Forbidden Land in this world.

In the depths of the valley there was a deep forest which could make anyone lose their way inside.

"Now to take care of the last matter..." Sighing, Gabriel stepped toward his destination in the valley

Gabriel went through the forest in the blink of an eye, appearing near the other end, right before the four sky pillars.

Usually, it was impossible to get there unless the restrictions were weaker, but for Gabriel, it was child's play since he was the one who placed these restrictions in the first place.

He placed his hand on the stone tablet, using some of his purest magical energy.

A portal appeared in the stone tablet, as if opening the pathway to an unseen place. Unlike last time when the portal sent someone randomly inside the tomb, the portal directly connected to the core of the Tomb.

Gabriel passed through the portal, coming out from the other side, right inside the core room. He could see multiple black shackles, coming out from all corners of the room, connected in the middle where these shackles entrapped a person.

undefinedFeeling a sudden presence in the room, the Goddess of Nature slowly raised her head, glancing at the young man ahead with lifeless eyes. However, as soon as she saw who it was, the flames in her heart were ignited as her entire body was covered in murderous intent.

"So you're back again... Are you here to mock me?!" she asked, struggling once again. Unfortunately, she still couldn't break through the shackles.

Gabriel didn't respond. He just looked at the woman before him. Over a thousand years had passed yet it was as if just yesterday, they were lying over grass plains, talking like old friends.

After living his life as Gabriel, he came to know a lot of things that he hadn't understood in the past. Through Gabriel's perspective, he came to know that what he did in the past to the Goddess of Nature wasn't entirely right.

When he thought from a different perspective, if she was in his place and his sister had attacked her for no reason, would he have allowed her to kill his sister? No. What would he have done if she had killed his sister? The answer was clear.

Even if his sister was at fault, he would've killed the Goddess of Nature for hurting his sister. What she did in the past was no different. Her brother was wrong, but killing him like that was not entirely right, especially considering that he was the brother of someone who was akin to a friend.

He didn't know if the Goddess of Nature would've worked with the other gods if he hadn't fought with her, but the chances were really low.

"I am sorry..." After a long pause, Gabriel finally spoke. "I should've realized what the existence of a sibling signifies for people like us..."

Even though Gabriel had apologized in the past, but Karyk never apologized to anyone! No matter what he did, he never said such words that were unfamiliar to him. However, this time, these words came straight from his depths.

Now that his sister was back, and his life was calmer, he had plenty of time to think about it. During the week he spent with his sister, he managed to understand what the Goddess of Nature went through even more.

The Goddess of Nature frowned, confused. She couldn't understand if she was hallucinating. Karyk was apologizing to her?

"You think an apology will stop me?! The day I'm free, I'll kill you with my own hands! I'll pay you back for everything that you did!"

"You are free to do what you want... If you want to kill me, I welcome you to try. However, the outcome will remain the same."

Gabriel didn't show any strange reaction to her words. This was a thousand year long hatred and it wasn't going to end with just an apology. However, it was still a start.

He waved his hands lightly, breaking the imprisoning spell.

The shackles that were keeping the fiercely struggling Goddess of Nature disappeared into thin air, turning into specks of light.

The Goddess of Nature was finally free! Initially, she couldn't believe it. However, it didn't matter. Her mind was already filled with anger! She couldn't control her body that rushed toward Gabriel to kill him!

Boom~

An explosion resounded inside the tomb. A deep crater appeared in the middle of the hall. However, inside the crater wasn't Gabriel. Instead, the Goddess of Nature was lying on the ground, with her neck in Gabriel's hands.

"As I said, you're free to try. However, the outcome will be the same," Gabriel responded. In his Domain, even true gods couldn't do anything to him, let alone someone like the Goddess of Nature. However, he still hoped that her anger was going to calm down given the time.

"You were trapped here for a thousand times, and it's because of me. I understand. However, I won't allow you to kill me." He released the Goddess of Nature, taking a few steps back, landing outside the crater.

The Goddess of Nature coughed out a mouthful of blood, as she stood up, gazing at Gabriel. She was surprised at his current strength. Even though he was strong in the past, his strength mainly lied in his spells. However, at the moment, it was as if his physical strength had increased tremendously.

"Looks like you had a good life..." She stated. She still had the killing intent in her eyes, but she felt a little hesitant in attacking this guy. She had failed every time she tried. They were just in two different leagues.

"A good life?" Gabriel couldn't help but look at her strangely. Since she was trapped here, it was clear that she didn't know many things, especially about the betrayal and maybe even how he died in the past.

"If that's a good life, then I think I'll be giving a great life to them in return for what they did..." he let out, shaking his head lightly.

He changed the topic. Even though he really felt bad about what he did to the Goddess of Nature, but that wasn't his only reason for coming here. He had a second reason.

He wanted to go to the Upper Realm. Jia was his guide, but he knew that he needed the help of the Goddess of Nature as well. Unfortunately, convincing her was easier said than done. Still, he had some ideas for it.

Fortunately, he had something at hand.

He brought out a small red stone, tossing it to the Goddess of Nature.

The Goddess of Nature caught the soul stone, frowning. "What is it?!"

"Your brother's soul..." Gabriel calmly responded, still maintaining his calm face. "I'll bring him back to life for you."

It was clear that his enmity with the Goddess of Nature started with her Brother's death. For her, thousand years of solitary confinement was not even worth mentioning, compared to her loss of her only family member at the hands of her so-called friend.

If he wanted to turn her around, he had to first return her brother and start from there.

Fortunately, it was easier to bring back the brother of Goddess of Nature since he didn't have to go to the Nether Realm to bring his soul back. Her brother's soul was already inside his Grimoire after all, with the consciousness intact. All that was needed was to create a body, which was even easier for him.

"Why are you doing it?" The Goddess of Nature frowned. "Instead of just killing me, why are you freeing me? And even help me bring my brother back?"

She didn't know what Karyk was doing. From what she knew, he was someone who didn't deal with emotions too well. In fact, he would rather kill someone who offended him than talk it out, even if it was his closest friend. However, for him to go this far, instead of killing her? That was unexpected.

undefinedGabriel was silent for a moment. However, after a long time, he finally stepped closer, reaching out his hand.

He lightly placed his hand on the Goddess of Nature's head. "Because I feel sorry for what I did to my friend. I was in the wrong..."

"Friend?" The Goddess of Nature muttered, gazing at the Soul Stone in her hand which was enough to bring her brother back. However, as she raised her gaze back, she noticed that Karyk was already gone, nowhere to be found.

The Goddess of Nature didn't know what to do next. She just looked at the Soul Stone blankly.

In the end, she activated the Soul Stone, which became bigger. The soul stone became six feet tall, large enough to create a human body inside.

The process was very slow though, and at the speed it was going, it was clear that it was at least going to take a few weeks to complete.

The feeling of being free after a thousand years was strange. She had been in those chains for so long, that even though she was free now, she could still feel those chains around her wrists and ankles.

She raised her head slightly, gazing in the direction where Gabriel was standing previously. "He has changed..."

She cast a protective barrier around this room which could not only protect the soul stone but also inform her if someone came close to this place. The only person she thought who could break the barrier in this place was Karyk. However, since he himself gave her the Soul Stones he had no reason to destroy it.

Leaving her brother's Soul Stone in the core of the Tomb where she was trapped for a thousand years, she disappeared.

The Goddess of Nature appeared in a distant mountain, standing at the peak. It was the first time she felt fresh air outside the Tomb. However, she could feel that something was different in the air.

In the past, the air used to contain a high concentration of elemental energy. However, currently, that couldn't be felt. Even for her, it was very hard to gather her elemental energy from the air around her.

"Just what did he do?" She muttered, frowning. To get more answers, she tried to locate the nearest city. What she wanted was information about the last thousand years, and the changes.

As she flew above the landscape, she couldn't help but marvel at the sights. It was as if the entire world had changed in the last thousand years. The places where deserts used to be, there were rainforests now. The places where not a single trace of humans could be found a thousand years ago had the biggest cities now.

Old lakes and rivers had dried up in the last thousand years yet new ones had appeared. The world didn't feel like anything she remembered. In fact, for a moment she even doubted if she was in the wrong world.

Along the way, she saw the place where Gabriel had fought with all the mages. She could still feel traces of his deadly aura in the bloody battlefield.

"Such a large-scale battle... Just who did he fight?" She muttered, landing on the battlefield.

She didn't know exactly how many people Gabriel faced, but the number wasn't low at all! Moreover, she could also feel some traces of the Element of Time as well. It was clear that the Temple of Time had also joined.

Even though she could feel the presence of other elements, none of it was at a significant level. It was as if no gods that she knew participated in this war.

She walked through the battlefield of corpses, trying to gain a better understanding.

After four hours, she finally reached a city near the battlefield, where she felt she could get more information about what happened.

The City was quite crowded and full of life, despite the fact that such a battle took place so close to it.

After walking through the City, she finally felt some presence that felt somewhat familiar. It was a young woman who was a Mage of Nature. Since she hadn't joined the war last time, she had managed to survive.

After that war, she hid for a week, worried that all the elemental mages were going to be hunted down after the war, but fortunately none of it happened. In fact, things felt more normal than they used to be.

"You, there." The Goddess of Nature approached the young woman.

The Young Woman didn't recognise the Goddess of Nature but she did have her suspicions lowered when she saw that the Goddess of Nature also had the Elemental Mark of Nature. She felt much safer approaching her.

The Goddess of Nature met with the young woman and asked about everything that happened.

The young mage was initially surprised, wondering which mountain this lady came down from, to not even know such basic knowledge. However, she didn't express it on her face.

She told the Goddess of Nature everything she knew, including the secret information about Gabriel that she had received thanks to the Temple of Time before the war. Her brother used to be a Head Priest in the Church of Nature after all, so he was informed about such things before the war.

Since her brother knew how dangerous Gabriel was, that's why he asked her to stay away from the war and she listened and survived.

"He was killed a thousand years ago?" The Goddess of Nature frowned.

"Did you release her?" As Gabriel returned to the Royal City, Alion inquired, as if he had a rough idea where Gabriel had gone previously.

Gabriel nodded in response, landing on the roof of his palace, from where he had a clear view of the entire city.

"Are you sure you can trust her?" Alion asked. "Even though she's much weaker than you, she can still be very dangerous. And she hates you as well. Isn't it like taking a poisonous snake with you? Moreover, what if she just doesn't come to help you?"

"She will come." Gabriel responded. Even though he couldn't see through the future, he had a rough understanding of the Goddess of Nature since he had known her for such a long time.

He was sure that at the moment, the Goddess of Nature was somewhere, trying to find out what happened in the last thousand years. In fact, that was also the reason he party left out some clues for her to investigate. He wanted her to know everything, but not from his mouth.

undefined"You're right about her being dangerous, but that was only until I returned her brother. I'm sure you also know what kind of person she is..."

"I think she must be feeling quite satisfied that you didn't have a happy life while she was trapped." Alion couldn't help but smile wryly, stopping next to Gabriel.

"Happy and angry." Gabriel clarified. "She must be thinking that I was manipulated into a war with her. Even though it isn't true, but as long as I can play this right, it should be easier to convince her."

"Looks like you've already calculated everything." Alion was slightly surprised. Even though he thought that Gabriel just freed someone dangerous, but to see that he had a plan was slightly calming.

"When are you leaving then?" he asked. He knew that with this world becoming a Domain, even the Warriors of Upper Realm wouldn't have tried to enter this place easily, unlike last time. However, it was different when the battlefield was the Upper Realm.

Once Gabriel went to the Upper Realm, he was once again back to his origin, not possessing the support of his Domain.

"I'm sure that almost everyone there knows that you're alive. If you go there and they find out, it could get quite dangerous."

Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, slightly frowning. He understood it as well. Unfortunately, there was no choice. It wasn't as if he was going to become stronger the more he delayed.

To get stronger, he had to go to the Upper Realm... The land of mysteries. However, before that, he had to do something else in this world.

After wrapping up his conversation, he entered his Palace and went to the lowest floor, where no one other than him was allowed to enter. It was a space that spread underground, having an area as vast as the City above ground.

There were many restrictions on entering that place... So dangerous that they could kill almost any intruder!

In this huge empty space, there was only one thing. It was a giant skeleton that was lifelessly lying on the floor. However, despite the fact that the skeleton had died thousands of years ago, it was still emitting a power that was overbearing.

Even though Gabriel had killed another True God just recently, but feeling the Skeleton's aura, he had a feeling that the person he faced wasn't even close to the level of this person! The difference was like earth and sky!

Throughout the last week, Gabriel had been trying to study the symbols on the bones of the Skeleton but the more he tried to understand, the more complicated these symbols appeared.

It was as if the more he explored, the more mysteries he found.

The strange symbols contained a power that he had never seen before. It wasn't a power of any of the elements that he had seen before, but it was comparable if not stronger.

Gabriel touched one of the symbols, standing before the rib cage of the skeleton.

"Just what is the mystery that you're hiding?"

If possible, he wanted to awaken the skeleton as his undead knight, to understand this mysterious power even more. However, whenever he tried to cast any resurrecting spell, it was canceled out by those symbols.

The mystery behind those symbols was an opportunity for him. However, it was also a headache.

Even after spending a week on it, he felt as if he was back at the starting point.

"Whoever this was, definitely didn't come from the Upper Realm." In the end, Gabriel shook his head lightly, sending the skeleton back to his storage.

Since he had to leave, he wasn't going to leave the Skeleton behind. Moreover, he had a feeling that he needed to be stronger to explore these mysteries.

After he kept the skeleton back, he left the Royal Palace again. Since that moment, he wasn't seen for one month straight.

Even though he wasn't in the Royal City of Arecia for one month straight, but still there were some sightings of him all around the world! It was as if he was searching for something.

There were many mysteries towers in the worlds on unknown existences. Even though many of the continents were destroyed in the last year war, but the towers still somehow remained intact!

As if trying to find something, Gabriel went to the place where each of the towers was situated. He entered all these towers, one after another to reach the top floor.

Moreover, from each of the top floors, he received one ordinary silver key.

After a month, he finally finished exploring all the towers on earth, receiving eight keys in total.

Most people didn't know what these keys were for. In fact, even Gabriel didn't know. However, he did have a wild guess. It didn't matter if his guess was right or wrong, but he didn't want to miss out on the chance if it was true.

Just like that, over two months had passed since Gabriel's war with all the mages of this world. The world was at peace and not many people talked about the past anymore.

In these two months, these people didn't face any problems from Gabriel's side. It was as if only the Overlord had changed, but their lives were still as mundane as ever. Gabriel, or his people didn't interfere in the workings of this World, more than absolutely necessary.

While Gabriel went from tower to tower, his sister and everyone else was left in Arecia. His sister was accompanied by Avilia most of the time, living the life of an ordinary human.

Even though she asked about Gabriel from time to time, she only received an answer that Gabriel was busy with something.

Throughout this month, Avilia also tried to reach some of her magic to Gabriel's sister. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Gabriel's sister couldn't use her element since the Goddess of Summoning hadn't granted her any stigma of the element.

undefinedOnly a god that was born on earth could provide others with elements in the form of a blessing. At the moment, only Gabriel was capable of something like this in this world according to her. However, there was no way Gabriel was going to teach her the Element of Death.

He had gone through trying to control the Element of Death and only he knew what nightmare it was, compared to other Elements.

Gabriel's sister lived the life of an ordinary human, experiencing many things for the first time since she had no memories of the past. Moreover, on Gabriel's insistence, she had also started calling Alion as her brother.

It was as if her small family was completed. She had two brothers, and one who was akin to a sister. As for Jia...she had no idea how to treat her. It was clear that Jia was older than her, but she felt strange calling a little girl like that.

In the end, she only called Jia by her name, treating her as a friend.

"Is brother still not back?" Gabriel's sister Zena returned to the castle.

Even though there were many undead soldiers in the practice field of the castle, training tirelessly with spells and swords that looked out of this World, she had come to terms with it and didn't find it out of the ordinary.

All these undead soldiers were nice and treated her with respect. She wasn't scared of them, unlike the first time she had seen them. In fact, she still remembered how she had stumbled in fear the first time she saw them.

"Not yet," Avilia responded, taking a glance back at the setting sun in the distance. Another day was over yet Gabriel still wasn't back.

She didn't know why, but ever since Gabriel awakened his memories, she felt that he was a little distant, as if there was a wall between them. He was the same Gabriel as the past, but he was also different.

She wasn't able to talk or joke as freely as she used to do in the past. It was a strange feeling, but she was sure that she missed the old Gabriel a little.

Zena noticed a look of reminiscence on Avilia's face, slightly surprised. Even though she didn't remember most of her past, but she could still understand what that look meant!

"Are... Are you in love with my Brother?" She asked, slightly stunned.

Avilia came out of her daze. However, she didn't know how to answer this question. Even she didn't know the answer to this question. It was just a strange yet uncomfortable feeling in her heart, that made her want to stay in Gabriel's presence as much as possible.

"I-" she tried responding, but froze in the middle as she felt another powerful presence which was certainly stronger than her.

It was clear that this person was stronger than her, which should've been impossible since the only person stronger than her in this world should've been Alion and Jia.

She looked back with a frown on her face, noticing a young woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties. She was tall, and dressed in a beautiful green gown that matched her deep green eyes. However, her aura was no joke. She was clearly very strong... Maybe even stronger than Alion and Jia combined!

Avilia couldn't help but wonder if it was an enemy. She moved Zena behind her as she blocked her from the view, worried about Zena suddenly being attacked.

In the distance, the Goddess of Nature was completely unfazed. It was as if she didn't even care about the reaction of the people around her.

She had only come here to meet Gabriel after hearing that this was the place where the guy lived. However, now that she was here, she couldn't feel his presence at all.

Moreover, as far as Zena was concerned, she had no idea that she was Gabriel's sister and she was back to life! She had never seen Gabriel's sister in the past after all.

"He's not here either..." She muttered. However, her attention soon went to Zena. She could feel some of Gabriel's residual aura on Zena.

However, just as his eyes fell on Zena, a person appeared before her!

It was man, who looked to be in his early twenties. He had ears that were akin to an elf, and blood red eyes of a Vampire.

The man's face was pale, lacking any blood, as if he wasn't alive. However, the man was holding a heavy sword in his head.

As soon as he appeared before the Goddess of Nature, the tip of his sword twitched the ground while he stood like a proper knight with both his hands on the top of the hilt of the sword.

However, as soon as the tip of his heavy sword touched the ground, the entire ground started trembling. No one knew how heavy his sword was, but it was said to be even heavier than Jia's Sword.

Next to the Damphir General of Gabriel's army appeared the Lich King, holding a magical staff that emitted a magical aura that was no weaker than the Goddess of Nature.

One after another, all the Generals of Gabriel's undead army arrived. And all looked as threatening as the one next to them.

"I heard he had sealed his army after sealing me. Looks like he has freed all you brats." The Goddess of Nature didn't reveal any fear or confusion on her face. It wasn't her first time seeing all of them after all.

When she and Gabriel used to be slightly closer, she had seen them many times. However, the equation was different now.

"What are you doing here?!" The Lich King asked. However, his voice appeared to use some mysterious magic that allowed him to speak without even opening his lips.

His voice could clearly be heard by the Goddess of Nature and the other Undead Generals but not by Avilia and Gabriel's sister.

"I'm here to meet him," The Goddess of Nature replied. She was not here to fight. And even if she fought, she didn't think she would win, with the current condition of this world. However, she was really curious about one thing.

The Undead Generals were blocking her path. However, for what reason? That was the question in her mind. Karyk wasn't here after all. So who were they trying to protect from her?

In the end, she could only think of one person... The woman that Avilia hid behind her.

undefinedShe had already felt some of Karyk's aura on Zena and everyone was trying to protect her.

"Is she his daughter?" She asked in the end, even though she couldn't believe it herself. Karyk wasn't a person who would have a child since according to her, that guy was incapable of falling in love in the first place.

Moreover, according to her information, he was dead for a thousand years, and only recently awakened. There was no way he was going to have a daughter who was this old.

All the Undead Generals revealed some unnatural looks when they glanced back at Zena. To hear her be called their master's daughter was slightly odd.

In fact, even they wanted their master to someday have a family and children, settling down. Unfortunately, the situation didn't allow him.

"Her identity doesn't concern you. Just remember, that if you tried to harm her; in this universe, Master might make your life worse than living hell."

"He already did for the last thousand years." The Goddess of Nature retorted.

However, in response, one of the Undead Generals smiled. "What happened to you for the last thousand years will look like child's play compared to what he might do if you hurt that girl. You might think what Master did to you was bad, but let me remind you... He went really easy on you..."

The Goddess of Nature frowned, but didn't respond. What she went through was him going easy? Her face revealed some traces of anger but she couldn't completely deny the possibility.

What Karyk did to her felt less like a punishment and more like him locking her somewhat for a few decades to make her calm down. It was as if he was planning to free her after some time, but with his death at the hands of others soon after, the time was pushed forward by a thousand years.

Her anger did decrease after a short time in imprisonment since she had lots of time to think about it. She thought that Karyk was going to free her. However, as centuries passed, her anger and hate only continued to build up, as if Gabriel had completely forgotten about her.

Even though she didn't show it on her face, she felt really good when she heard that Karyk had died a thousand years ago and just returned, only to free her. It showed that he hadn't forgotten her.

Moreover, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that things weren't bad. Even when Karyk had killed her brother in anger, he had saved his soul, to bring him back later. So he never really intended to take her brother's life but only to punish him.

Even though she had some misunderstandings about Karyk's actions with the kind of assumptions she made, if he were to know about it, it was unclear what kind of expression he would've revealed

"I'm not here to hurt her." In the end, the Goddess of Nature shook her head lightly. She had enough of fighting Gabriel. "I'm just here to meet him. However, since he's not here, I'll take my leave."

She simply turned around. Even though she was curious about Zena's identity, it didn't matter.

"Leaving so soon?" As the Goddess of Nature was about to leave, a voice came from behind her.

"Alion... I should've expected you to be here." The Goddess of Nature glanced at the roof of the castle, noticing a man standing there.

She disappeared and in the next moment, she appeared right next to Alion. After that, both of them went inside the Castle, talking about something.

Avilia finally sighed in relief. Even though the person was dangerous, it appeared that she had no intention of harming Zena.

"She is master's friend." The Damphir explained, raising his heavy sword, placing it on his shoulder. "Don't worry. She won't harm you. And even if she tried, she won't be able to. So don't think about her."

After he finished speaking, he also left with the other Generals.

Gabriel had prepared a specific training zone for them in the Palace perimeters, where they could go all out without affecting their surroundings with the strength of their attacks. That's also the place where all the Undeads trained.

Since they had woken up after a thousand years, they were even more hungry for battle, giving it their all in their training. It was a sight to see, to watch such monsters fight.

After searching all around the world, Gabriel finally found the eight keys that were spread throughout this world in different towers.

He was really curious about the beings who made these towers yet he didn't think about it too much. He kept the ordinary looking keys in his storage ring before finally returning to his palace.

As he reached his palace, he already felt the presence of the Goddess of Nature. However, he didn't reveal any traces of surprise, as if he was expecting it to happen.

During his absence, Alion had been talking to the Goddess of Nature, telling her about the last thousand years that only he and Gabriel knew about.

There were more details in his description that changed a little compared to the version of the Temple of Time. However, the core was the same... Karyk's death and betrayal of gods.

While the Temple of Time called that betrayal as gods working together to kill an evil God, he knew that it was no more

than backstabbing someone just because they were scared of their abilities and influence. It wasn't even just fear, but also greed.

If someone was the evil god according to him, it was the Goddess of Light, who planned so far ahead, only to get what she wanted!

After telling the Goddess of Nature everything, Alion didn't speak much. He didn't tell her about their next plan of action. He didn't want to make it too obvious.

Instead, he wanted for her to ask it herself first. That way, it wasn't them who was trying to involve her in their mission but she herself who asked them to involve her.

In the end, everything happened just as he expected. The Goddess of Nature knew that Karyk wasn't the kind of person who was going to let the ones who betrayed him, live in peace.

The sun might rise from the north, but Karyk forgetting his revenge was still impossible. She knew that he was planning something! It was also clear that his current absence had something to do with his planning.

"Is he planning to go to the Upper Realm himself?!" In the end, she took a guess. It was easy for her with the kind of personality Karyk had. She knew him all too well.

undefinedMost people would've stopped their journey after converting a world to their Domain. This was the safest place from outside influence. They could've lived an eternity in peace here.

However, Karyk was different. He wasn't the kind of person who could forget the past. Instead, he was someone who was to return it a thousand fold! He was the same person who sealed his friend for a thousand years over a single fight, after all!

Alion was slightly intrigued. Was Karyk so obvious that everyone who knew him understood what his next plan was? Didn't that mean the Goddess of Light and the beings in the Upper Realm also guessed it?

"Don't tell me you really didn't expect others to guess this plan?" She asked, noticing the stunned look of Alion. "That means you really underestimated others."

"I'm sure Karyk also knows that others have guessed what he's going to do next. Since he's still going forward with this plan, he must've had another plan on top. That's the one I can't guess..." The Goddess of Nature rubbed her temple, lost in thoughts.

"Looking at your expressions, it's clear that even you don't know the other plan of his. Am I right?" she asked after opening her eyes.

Alion's lips twitched. However, he knew that she wasn't wrong either. He really hadn't thought about it since he had been busy managing this world.

"Yes, you're right, I'm just as clueless as you are," he replied with a sigh. "But whatever his plan may be, we cannot afford to sit back and do nothing. You know that the other gods will never accept your truth since Karyk's the one who freed you. They'll always think of you as someone who could backstab them just like they did."

"In the end, you're also their enemy. Maybe not to the extent of Karyk, but still." He further added. "If he does, this world will lose the Domain protection and we'll all be the ones who are killed next. So no matter what his plan may be, I'll be supporting him. And I have a feeling that you will too. Isn't that right, Eia?"

The Goddess of Nature frowned, not responding right away. Her answer was obvious. If there was a war, then her only chance of survival was with Karyk. That also wasn't the only reason she wanted to help him!

She hated the fact that the Goddess of Light used her like a pawn in her scheme! As if her thousand years of suffering was just to be a stepping stone for the Goddess of Light to step higher. She hated this feeling and wanted to pay her back a thousand fold.

"What are you two talking about?" Gabriel's voice came from the other side as he stepped inside the room, as if appearing out of thin air.

The Goddess of Nature glanced back at him, but didn't show any emotions on her face. It was as if she was just meeting a stranger for the first time.

"Are you still angry?" Gabriel asked, placing his hand on Eia's head, like she was a little child.

Eia pushed her hand away. "Let me seal you for a thousand years and then I'll ask you if you're angry."

"I'm afraid that's never going to happen." Gabriel lazily answered. "In this life, I'll either die fighting or live freely. There's no in between..."

There were so many things for him to be concerned with, but Eia wasn't one. He knew she was angry, but it was also clear that her anger had mostly dissipated. Even though they hadn't reached the same relationship that they had in the past, but at least she didn't want to kill him anymore.

Despite knowing that she wasn't going to kill him, Gabriel had learned a lot from the Goddess of Light. Even in the presence of the Goddess of Nature and Alion, he always kept his guard up. He wasn't going to allow anyone to betray him this time, even if they were his trusted friends! Even Alion wasn't immune from this suspicion.

"I'll go with you to the Upper Realm. I also have to pay back the Goddess of Light for using me like a pawn!" Eia said, standing up and facing Gabriel while looking straight in his eyes.

"We aren't going on a picnic. You aren't needed." Gabriel retorted.

Even though he wanted to bring her, he knew that agreeing right away wasn't the right move. With her stubborn personality, the more he rejected her, the more she was going to be fired up to come with him, in the end feeling as if it was her own plan to go to the Upper Realm with him, not realizing that she played right into his hands.

Moreover, to make sure that his plan worked as expected, he didn't forget to imply that she was weak. That way, he also targeted her ego and her zeal to prove herself!

All the puzzle pieces were in place and it was soon time for his departure.

"You should worry more about yourself. You aren't going to have the advantage of your domain in the upper realm. So stop being so overconfident." The Goddess of Nature scoffed, feeling as if she was being looked down on.

Her fighting spirit was ignored. She wanted to go with Gabriel as well. She had her own personal scores to settle and she needed Gabriel's help to leave this place.

"I am strong enough to protect myself. I don't need you to worry about me." She further insisted.

Gabriel didn't react right away, but this was also what he wanted. In the end, she acted as if she gave up and allowed the Goddess of Nature to accompany him.

"Fine. Start preparing. We'll leave tomorrow."

undefined"Tomorrow? So soon?" The Goddess of Nature was slightly taken aback at the timeline. Her brother's body was still in the process of completion. She at least wanted to meet him before leaving.

"Alion and the others will bring your brother back to the castle when he wakes up. His safety is almost assured."

Even though Gabriel also wanted to see the return of Cylix and Novius before leaving, but he didn't want to delay any more than needed.

In any case, they weren't needed here. He had already used the stones needed for body recreation and given the souls to Alion. He could handle the rest.

Alion could help the two return to this world and also inform them about what had happened in the past.

At the same time, Gabriel also made some slight changes in the soul. He placed the main souls of Cylix and Novius into deep sleep. They had already lived their life to the fullest. Instead, he made the fragments that were left inside the Tower of Challenges as the main soul.

For him, the Cylix and Novius who were outside were nothing more than strangers. Instead, he wanted to help the Cylix and Novius who were stuck inside the tower, unable to see the light of day.

It was as if he had swapped the sealed fragments and the main personality. This time, it was the main personality which was sealed.

Gabriel only kept the main personality's spell knowledge intact to help the two who he knew.

He had already done his part. As for meeting them before leaving, for now he had no interest.

He didn't want it to feel like he was going to his death, never to return. He had decided to meet them when he returned victoriously after achieving his goals.

After finishing what he had to say, he didn't even wait for the Goddess' response and simply left, as if he was a ghost.

"Urgh, he's still like before. And here I thought, he changed." The Goddess of Nature shook her head lightly. However, she also understood why Gabriel was in a hurry to leave.

Since she had decided to leave with him, she also decided to make some arrangements for her brother once he returned completely.

She also disappeared.

Most of the Mages in the World were killed. All the Churches and their main clans had been abandoned.

Only a few mages had managed to survive, and that too because they hadn't joined the war. Amongst them, the mages from the Academy of Elements were also ones.

They hadn't joined the war for unknown reasons. Instead, they were just spectators, as if they had suddenly forgotten the hatred between them and Gabriel.

Unfortunately, with the change in this World, it was almost impossible for new mages to appear, so the Academy was eventually closed and all the Teachers of the Academy left on their own journey, in search for opportunities to grow stronger.

The City that once used to be called the City of life was now no different than any ordinary City in the continent.

The Academy of Elements had closed and the Church of Light had no members left. Every single member of the Church of Light was killed already.

At the moment, Princess Elia of the Lumen Empire could be seen walking on the streets, surrounded by her guards who were there to protect her.

However, she appeared very different from the past, when she used to be in the same class as Gabriel. At that moment, her eyes were filled with pride and arrogance. However, now she appeared to be at a loss.

She still couldn't believe that the youngster that she rarely paid attention to was the one who changed the complete hierarchy of this World.

He was now the strongest person in the world. Even an entire army couldn't defeat him.

As she was walking in the streets, she was slightly taken aback. She saw the back of a person. Even though the person had donned a robe on his back, she felt as if she had seen that person before.

The person had beautiful silver now, which made her shake her head lightly. She remembered that Gabriel didn't have hair of that shade. However, she still couldn't shake that feeling.

Was that person really Gabriel? Was he really the new overlord of this world? What was he doing in this city suddenly?

She didn't even realize when she subconsciously started following after him, trying to make sure if he was really Gabriel.

However, just as she had taken a step following Gabriel, she froze in her place as a dark haired undead appeared before her, coming out of a shadow, placing a cold to the touch sword on her neck.

Even though he didn't say anything, but it was clear that he was warning her... As if saying that he was going to swing his sword if she moved even an inch.

Elia froze in place, not daring to move. At this distance, even the guards couldn't save her! Even if they wanted, she would've stopped them since she was finally sure that the person she thought about following was none other than Gabriel.

If her guards even thought about resisting, then it was going to be a slaughter.

In the end, she lowered her head, as if showing her willingness to give in.

The Undead removed his sword. Finally a few words came out of his lips. "Wise decision."

After speaking, he disappeared, once again returning to the shadow as if he had never appeared in the first place.

Without any interruption, Gabriel soon reached his destination, stopping right before a majestic building that looked even better than the Royal Palace of the Lumen Empire. It was the Church of Light which had been abandoned since there was no member left in this world. However, the place was still intact.

Gabriel took his first step inside the Church of Light, pushing the doors open. Even though the doors were sealed, they couldn't offer even the slightest resistance against his strength.

undefinedAs he stepped inside the church of light, the silence of the place spoke volumes to him. The decoration inside was breathtaking and the candles still illuminated the place, even though it has been closed for quite some time.

Gabriel walked down the aisle, noticing the beautiful stained-glass windows and intricate carvings on the pews. The emptiness of the church made him feel strange.

The place looked the same as it looked in the past. However, there was one difference. The last time he came here, this place was crowded. But this time, not a single person could be found.

Many of the treasures were still left intact inside the Church of Light. However, those treasures were completely useless to him, especially compared to his Elemental Sword that he created during his battle with a Demigod.

Instead of Treasures, there was a different reason for him to come here.

Only his footsteps resounded in the empty Church of Light as Gabriel kept going deeper and deeper, without a single care in the world.

It was only when he reached his destination that he slowed down.

There was a majestic gate before him that looked like it was impossible to open in the first place. The gate was different from any other gate in the Church. It was the Gate that protected the entry to the Sacred Region of the Church of Light!

Only the Holy Lord of Light could open this gate, and that too, only once in their life. It was a place that couldn't be opened with brute force either.

Gabriel didn't even use the small fragment of Element of Light that he had received. Other than some improved healing, he didn't want to rely on any other element!

In his eyes, the Element of Light was way inferior to the Element of Death when it came to fight. Instead of working on his Element of Light that was never going to get close to the level of goddess of Light, he only focused on the Element of Death, which was already near completion.

He also had a guess as to why the Goddess of Light gave him this element. He didn't want to play into her hands.

"Even your master had to scheme against me because she was scared of me. Can a mere gate stop me?"

Gabriel placed his right hand on the door. The door started shining in bright light as lightning flickered, as if intending to harm Gabriel for trying to open the gate when he wasn't allowed to. However, Gabriel remained unphased.

Instead, his aura of death completely covered the gate, as of taking it hostage.

Boom ~

With a loud explosion, the gate broke open as some fragments of the door flew inside the sacred region, falling on the ground with a thud.

The gate was broken. All the seals that stopped a person from entering the Sacred Region broke along with the gate, as if the seals were nothing before his strength.

The aura of death shrouded Gabriel, changing his attire into something that he used to wear a thousand years ago. It was as if he was back into the past when he stepped inside the Sacred Region.

As he entered that place, he once again found himself in the center of all the pillars.

All the fragments of the souls of the Previous Holy Lords still existed in this place. They appeared one after another, still as talkative as the last time.

"So soon? A new Holy Lord? Don't tell me the brat that came here last time died already?"

For the previous holy lords, it was evident that one couldn't enter a second time. Only when the last Holy Lord died could a new one come here.

However, as soon as their eyes fell on the person who stood in the middle, they all went pale. It was the same person as last time. Moreover, his aura was even more scary!

His entire body was shrouded in death, as if he was a reaper who came here to take their souls!

"Who are you?" The First Holy Lord of Light asked as she became cautious. "How did you come here a second time?"

Gabriel didn't react right away. Instead, he looked around, as if he was looking for someone.

In the end, he looked above. "Are you still not going to show yourself?"

He received no response to his question, only silence.

"You've always been this cowardly, huh?" Gabriel further stated, but he didn't ask anymore. Instead, he shifted his attention to the fragments of the souls of other Holy Lords of Light.

He raised his head lightly. A frightening aura appeared, with him at the core. Even though the Holy Lords were in the sacred region, blessed by their Element, but it was as if Gabriel's aura was strong enough to break every restriction placed here.

Their bodies were forced down to their knees. Even the strongest one couldn't avoid it!

A look of embarrassment, shame and anger flashed on the faces of the previous Holy Lords as they glared at Gabriel, as if they wanted to kill him.

They had never faced an insult like this in the past, which made them even more unwilling.

All the Holy Priests of Light looked at Gabriel with naked hostility. From their expressions, it was clear that they would've given their all to kill him if they could.

Even the ones who had had a positive expression of Gabriel the last time hated him now. Unfortunately for them, their feelings were the last thing Gabriel cared for.

He stepped toward the first Holy Priest... The first person who had received a clone of Grimoire of Light from the Goddess of Light.

The first Holy Lord was a woman. Even though she didn't have a muscular build, she still felt much stronger than the rest. Even though all the people here weren't real holy lords of the past but only a fragment of their soul, they were still quite strong when compared to an average mage.

"If you want to watch, then I'll make sure to put on a good show for you!" Gabriel exclaimed.

undefinedTo the Holy Lords, it was unclear who he was talking to. However, far away in the Upper Realm, the Goddess of Light was sitting in her room in silence with her eyes closed. Her face had an unnatural expression but she didn't do anything.

Gabriel placed his hand over the soul of the First Holy Lord.

These people were strong when it came to controlling the element of light. However, their abilities weren't even a fraction of what the Goddess of Light was capable of.

For him, they were just as useless as the Element of Light.

The Element of Light was somewhat connected to the Superior Element of Life but that connection was only minute. Until the Goddess of Light truly mastered her Element of Light, she had no chance of even touching the threshold of evolution into the Goddess of Life.

Meanwhile, Karyk's starting line was already way ahead of her since he inherited a Supreme Element of Death.

Even though he also had the Element of Darkness, but that element was also more or less useless to him. Just like the Element of Light was connected to the Element of Life, the Element of Darkness was connected to the Element of Death.

He still remembered the day he had found out about the fact. He wasn't the only one who found out about it. The God of Darkness and the Goddess of Light were with him when the three had discovered this information.

At that moment, the other two didn't show much reaction, as if this information was useless to him. It was only now that Gabriel understood that this was the moment where a seed of greed was planted in their hearts... The greed for true evolution into a god with Supreme Element.

At least the God of Darkness was still straightforward and attacked him, only to be destroyed in the process. The Goddess of Light was more cunning, never revealing her greed until the last moment.

"Now that I think about it, it looks like that guy didn't die last time either, since the Element of Darkness was still passed around. Did his soul somehow escape?"

Gabriel had a fleeting thought, but he left it for later. For now, he had other things to focus on.

He placed his hand over the first Holy Lord of Light who wasn't even able to resist.

The Holy Grimoire of Death came out from his body. The pages started flipping open while Gabriel absorbed the soul of the First Holy Lord.

The First Holy Lord has her soul destroyed while her knowledge was stolen.

In the Upper Realm, the Goddess of Light had a pale face as she suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood! Even though these were just soul fragments, they were still connected to her since she was the one who granted them their abilities.

As their souls were being destroyed, she was the one who was getting hurt in the process! If possible, she wanted to go down and bring all those fragments back, but she bit her lips, resisting the urge.

She knew that if she went down, then Gabriel was never going to let her return! He was doing all this to drag her soul down with him;

Even though she had spent a thousand years in the Upper Realm, she was still scared of Gabriel.

When she granted Gabriel a small fraction of her abilities, it was only so he could gain some additional strength to fight the overlord of the upper realm.

She wanted the two of them to fight each other to death. At the end, if Gabriel was barely alive, she was supposed to kill him while also taking back her abilities from him that he would've worked hard to strengthen! That way, he would've lost the healing of Light that he would've come to rely on!

On the other hand, if the Overlord of the Upper Realm had the upper hand, she could've let him use her healing to drag the fight enough to weaken the Ruler of the Upper Realm.

Unfortunately, things weren't moving as she guessed. Instead of directly targeting the Ruler of the Upper Realm like she guessed, Gabriel was instead coming for her first! This was out of her expectations!

Another strange thing was that Gabriel had completely stopped using the Element of Light, instead of relying on it more and more like she wanted!

She wanted him to strengthen that element so when she took it back, her control over the Element would've reached the true god territory.

She wiped the lips off her blood, glaring into the void.

"You might want to target me first, but do your thing I'll let that happen?" The Goddess of Light clenched her teeth, talking to herself. "You might not Target him first, but do you think he'll do the same? I'll make sure that both of you drag each other to hell! You'll have no choice but to be my pawn!"

However, as soon as she finished speaking, she coughed more Blood as another soul fragment of the Holy Lord was destroyed.

Her eyes were bloodshot as she looked in the void, with a pale face

Gabriel wiped the last Holy Lord Soul Fragment. He was the last person left in the place.

"What happened?" he asked again as his aura spread out, slowly devouring the entire sacred region of the Church of Light. "Won't you come and meet your old friend?"

"Don't worry. You might forget this friend of yours, but I won't forget you." As the sacred region was destroyed, Gabriel finally turned around. It was evident that the Goddess of Light wasn't going to show herself.

"Look forward to it..."

Gabriel appeared outside the Church of Light, which came crashing down, as if it had lost all its support.

undefinedIn the Upper Realm, the Goddess of Light heard everything that Gabriel spoke. Her eyes revealed a cold glint. "Don't worry, old friend. I'll make sure to prepare a nice 'welcome' for your arrival!"

The Lumen City that had gained peace to some extent was once again filled with discussions as people wondered just why the Church of Light suddenly came crashing down.

Most people were sure that someone had intentionally destroyed it. As for who did it, Princess Elia realized everything. However, she didn't speak of it. Even if she told others, it wouldn't have changed anything after all.

After leaving the Church of Light, Gabriel walked through the City of Lumen which was where his journey into the world of magic began in this life.

Walking alone, he didn't even realize when he reached the Academy of Element.

The Academy which used to be filled with students and teachers was now completely empty. Even normal guards couldn't be seen.

The academy wasn't just void of people. All the treasures and everything else was also taken. Only the old buildings were left behind.

Gabriel had a feeling that it was the teachers who took everything since he hadn't seen them in the war. However, it didn't matter. He had already taken most of their treasures the last two times he robbed their treasury. Whatever they had left was useless for him.

It wasn't wrong to say that the Academy was almost bankrupt.

"To think that I robbed people of those useless treasures..." Gabriel couldn't help but reveal a look of amusement.

In his first life, those treasures weren't even worth him taking a second glance. However, in this life, when he hadn't awakened his memories, he treated those useless treasures as precious items.

Looking back at his journey this far, he couldn't help but reveal a rare smile. Even though his journey in this life was much shorter than his last time, but there were still some moments that had left a lasting impression on him.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" While walking inside the academy that was supposed to be empty, Gabriel heard a voice coming from behind.

He turned around, intrigued, only to notice a small group of people, who had some bags in their hands.

Gabriel didn't react much. It wasn't odd for people to come here, thinking that they could find some treasures in the abandoned academy.

With his hands behind his back, he turned around and started leaving. There wasn't anything else worth seeing here.

"Stop right there!" Just as Gabriel started leaving, the same arrogant voice once again came from behind.

"Seeing how you're leaving, you must've already found some treasure inside, right?!" The scar-faded man asked, revealing a greedy smile. "Shouldn't you share that treasure with us?"

"I haven't taken any treasures from this place... today," Gabriel calmly responded without looking back. "You should keep searching. Maybe you'll find something nice. My suggestion, try the Tower of Challenges."

"You! Who gave you the permission to leave?! Stop and hand over everything that you have! You think you can fool us so easily? We'll search you ourselves!" The man once again stated. "If you don't have any treasures, we'll let you leave!"

"However, if we find a treasure on you, we'll kill you for lying to us!" he further threatened. "So you better hand over everything before we start searching, you little brat!"

"I gave everyone an opportunity to kill me a few weeks ago already. I'm not interested in entertaining you anymore," Gabriel lazily responded, snapping his fingers lightly.

The group of men was angry at Gabriel's attitude. However, as soon as they pulled out their weapons, their faces went blank.

They didn't even see how it happened but their hands that were holding onto the weapons fell to the ground! All of them had lost their hand which was holding onto a weapon and they didn't even see how it happened!

They were horrified, watching blood gushing out of their shoulders. Their arms were lying before their feet, along with their weapons.

They were so scared that even as they felt pain, they bit their lips but didn't scream. They didn't know who the man before them was, but it was certainly a scary existence! They didn't know if he was going to slice their necks if they annoyed him further.

Ignoring the people behind him, Gabriel stepped out of the academy. He couldn't help but feel as if this was the last time he was going to be here. Even he didn't know if he could return in the future or not.

He was confident in his abilities, but that was the extent of it. Before leaving, he was already prepared for his potential death during this journey. That's why, he wanted to savor every memory in this world one last time.

After leaving Lumen City, Gabriel moved with the wind. Within a few minutes, he appeared in the small town where he was said to be born.

Ever since the initial incident, the town had been Abandoned. However, most of the houses were still intact.

He stood before the house where he used to live with Maya and her family.

Even though the blood on the streets and at the entrance of his house had dried, some marks could still be seen, as if acting as a witness of the start of his journey into the world of darkness.

Gabriel couldn't help but glance at the roof of the house, from where he used to look at the moon almost every other night.

He couldn't help but feel as if it was just yesterday where he was sitting on the roof when someone hit his head, kidnapping him and taking him to that cliff where he first met with his old Grimoire.

At that time, he felt as if it was a coincidence that he found the Grimoire of Death there. However, it was only when he awakened his memories that he realized that the truth was somewhat different.

It wasn't that he found the Grimoire of Death at the bottom of the cliff. Instead, those two things came out of his own body right as he fell. It's just that at that point, he couldn't guess that.

It wasn't luck that saved his life, but his own self.

Pushing the door of the abandoned house open, Gabriel stepped inside, taking one last look at the place where he spent more than half of his current life.

"Everything is fleeting." He muttered, stepping out of the house that came crumbling down as soon as he stepped out. It wasn't just his old house that came crumbling down, but every other house as well.

Within seconds, the entire town was destroyed. Everything turned to dust, making it impossible to know that a town even used to exist in this place.

undefinedWinds started intensifying, bringing sand with it, covering the land of town in sand, making it look like a sand desert instead.

Leaving the town, Gabriel had only one last place that he wanted to see.

He went to the distant cliff, which was somewhat far from his town.

The cliff was void of people, but it still felt threatening since it was so high that an ordinary person would've died after falling from it.

Gabriel stood at the edge of the cliff, looking straight down.

The view from the top was breathtaking, as she could see that the end of the cliff was still covered in a white mist.

He couldn't help but remember how different this place was, compared to last time. A thousand years ago, this place used to be completely different.

There used to be crashing waves of the ocean on one side and the endless expanse of the desert on the other.

Even in his last life, he had come to this place quite a few times. Whenever he used to stand here, he used to feel as if he was standing at the edge of two different worlds.

This World was huge. Yet, at the same time, it felt small enough to fit within his palm.

Gabriel remained on the cliff, the entire night, just lying there and looking at the moon in the sky. It felt very similar to the time he used to spend on the roof, gazing at the moon.

"A world beyond, huh..." he muttered, basking under the moonlight.

He had always felt that there was something... Something beyond the upper realm. It was as if it was a subconscious feeling that was constantly telling him to get stronger.

In fact, even before he awakened the Element of Death, he used to feel like that. Even now, he didn't understand what that feeling was. It was like a natural instinct.

The war, the destruction, and even the appearance of elemental energy... At initial glance, it felt like it was all a coincidence that led to the eventual outcome of his awakening, but he could feel that something wasn't quite right.

Why him? Why was he the only one who received a Supreme Element in this world? And what was that strange feeling he had all his life even before he awakened? It was as if he could hear someone calling for him from the eternal darkness.

Gabriel spent the entire night deep in thought, unable to drift into slumber. He lay still and quiet, feeling the gentle winds caress his skin.

It was only in the morning that he stood up while the moon went into something akin to a slumber.

He cast a simple spell to alter his outfit, opting for a more subdued appearance. After changing his clothes, he disappeared, finally going back to the Arecia Empire. It was the promised time of departure.

Even though he wanted to go to the Nether Realm first, but since he hadn't been able to unravel the mystery of the Skeleton, he delayed that plan for later. Before going there, he wanted to solve the mystery of the skeleton.

Moreover, since he already had a domain, the reason that he wanted to go to the Forbidden Land of the Nether Realm wasn't as important anymore. In any case, he believed he could go there from the Upper Realm as well.

His figure appeared at the entrance of his castle, where all the Undead Soldiers went down on one knee, greeting their master.

Gabriel nodded in satisfaction. "Today, we shall leave."

Gabriel cast a new spell that he hadn't used in over a thousand years since he didn't need to. It was a spell that altered his shadow into a special space where all his army could reside.

This spell was also what he used in his last life, since moving with his army was too eye-catching.

The Undead Soldiers revealed a look of understanding. Even though it was just Gabriel's shadow, the space inside that shadow was no different than a vast world. They could even train there until they were called.

Raphael had been staying with his ancestors for the last few weeks and now he had a better understanding of Gabriel and all his past achievements which impressed him.

Previously, he used to think that he was all alone, which was also why his mood was always so solemn. However, now that he had something akin to a family, he was starting to adapt. Especially since Gabriel also brought his horse to this world from the Undead Realm.

In the end, he also wanted to train with his ancestors to become strong enough to be called a General. He went with them all to Gabriel's Shadow Space, where he wanted to train and fight more with the others.

He still had the Space Crystal and he wanted to master that crystal completely, since he had already experienced how strong that thing was.

Within a few minutes, his army disappeared entirely, returning to his shadow.

The majestic Training Arena that used to be filled with battle sounds of his Undead was completely silent now as not a single undead was left behind.

Gabriel entered the Castle. He still had to inform his sister, Avilia and the others about the fact that he was leaving. He intentionally left that for the last moment.

Inside the castle, he expected to find them one by one. However, to his surprise, he found all of them together.

Zena and Avilia looked at him, as if they already knew that he was going to leave.

"Are you really leaving?" Zena asked, after slight hesitation.

Even though she hadn't stayed with Gabriel for long, she had already started considering him a close family member with the time they spent.

She didn't know where Gabriel was going, or if it was dangerous. She was only informed that he was leaving and might not be able to return for some time.

Gabriel maintained his calmness. "Don't worry. I'm just going to meet some old friends."

Even though he didn't know which one of them accidentally leaked the information, but it only made things easier for him, since he didn't need to waste time talking about it.

"Old friends..." The Goddess of Nature's lips twitched unintentionally.

"It's just been such a long time since I met them, I thought I'll visit them once, and maybe bring a few gifts for them."

Gabriel didn't tell Avilia and the rest about what he was really going to do. However, unlike Zena who was kept in the dark, Avilia had already heard many things about Gabriel's past when she was a prisoner of the Temple of Time.

She knew what happened to Gabriel in the past. As for the so-called friends, she could also take a guess as to who he was talking about.

undefinedThe friends were in essence his true enemies who he hated the most.

Avilia didn't know just how dangerous this trip was for Gabriel, but she couldn't do anything. Since Gabriel didn't ask her to go with him, it just meant she was too weak. She couldn't even stand against the Temple of Time after all.

Amongst the group that Gabriel was taking with him, one was a goddess while the other was a demigoddess. It was already a group made from three of the four strongest people in this place, excluding Alion.

Zena was unaware of Gabriel's past since everyone had kept it a secret from her.

Moreover, Avilia was always accompanying Zena, also to make sure that she didn't accidentally hear anything outside since almost everyone else in this world knew of Gabriel's past.

In the end, Zena was completely ignorant and actually believed Gabriel's words. Since it was only a short trip to meet friends, she didn't worry too much.

She stepped closer to Gabriel. With her left hand, she grabbed his right hand and raised it.

As for her right hand, it was already clenched into a fist. After raising Gabriel's right hand, she also raised her right hand, revealing a six leaf clover in her hand.

She placed the six leaf clover in Gabriel's hands.

"A six leaf clover?" Gabriel frowned, slightly confused, not understanding what it meant.

Even though it was pretty rare to find it, but for someone like him, there was no meaning in a few leaves.

"There's a human saying that a six leaf clover signifies great luck and longevity. It's very rare." Alion could notice that Gabriel was confused. Since he wasn't here for the last thousand years, he hadn't heard many of human superstitions. So he took the lead to explain.

Gabriel only gazed at the six leaf clover in his hands, in the end, revealing a smile.

He kept his sister's gift safely. Even though he hadn't known about the superstitions behind a six leaf clover, he knew how rare it was to find one.

Still, his sister had found one in the first week itself. He still remembered how happy she looked, bragging about the clover she found. It was as if she had found a treasure for herself.

Her reaction had really intrigued him, since it was interesting to think how humans could find happiness in such small things. However, he hadn't bothered asking her why this clover was so special to her. It was only now that he found out.

He was slightly taken aback to think that she had given this to him, when it was the only one he had.

In the end, he placed his hand on his little sister's head. "I'll make sure to bring it back safely..."

After a few seconds, he retracted his hands, looking at Jia and the Goddess of Nature. His smile had disappeared, returning to his calm expressions.

"We are leaving now." He didn't look back twice as he turned around, and left Avilia, Alion and Zena behind.

His robe waved with the gentle wind as a portal opened before him.

Jia and the Goddess of Nature stepped forward, standing behind him.

Even though the spatial portal looked like a normal portal, the Goddess of Nature could see that it wasn't ordinary by any means! She could see many intricate elemental lines, forming a structure that even she hadn't seen in her life.

It was as if the portal was cutting through the space time continuum, connecting to the Upper Realm.

Usually, it was impossible to connect to the Upper Realm without permission from the Upper Realm. However, Gabriel had forcefully opened the void. It wasn't his first time doing this either. .

As soon as the portal connected to the Upper Realm, an unnatural amount of energy rushed out from the portal. It was the energy and aura of the upper realm, which was multiple times purer than the energy on earth before Gabriel had turned this into his domain.

The Goddess of Nature felt so refreshed, basking in this strange yet familiar energy. She could understand why the Goddess of Light was so eager to go to the Upper Realm.

"It's stable. We can enter." After the portal was stabilized, Gabriel entered the void, disappearing into the darkness.

Carrying her heavy sword on her shoulders, Jia also entered the void.

The Goddess of Nature was the last person. She took one last glance behind her, gazing at Alion. "Please take care of my brother. He's somewhat stupid, so if he doesn't listen, you can teach him a lesson. But please, don't kill him."

She knew the flaws of her brother the best. She understood how he was like an entitled child with arrogance filled in his bones because of her position. However, she also didn't want a situation like what happened with Gabriel again.

Thus, she granted Alion the permission to train the guy to at least improve his attitude. As long as her brother was alive, it didn't matter if he suffered a few losses. .

After telling Alion everything she had to, she also stepped inside the void.

As if the void was only made for three people. As soon as the Goddess of Nature stepped inside the void, the portal closed on its own, as if collapsing.

The strange energy that had rushed inside was still left behind, but the portal was gone.

Alion looked at the empty space, wondering what the future was going to be l

ike. In his eyes, this was the most dangerous battle for Gabriel, in a world that was much different from earth.

He also wanted to accompany Gabriel, but he couldn't. Someone had to stay behind to protect this place as well. In the end, she could only wish Gabriel luck for his new journey.

The Upper Realm... Even though it was called one realm, it was in essence a group of five worlds, each having the densest elemental energy that no ordinary world could ever compare to.

Each of the five worlds was multiple times bigger than the world where Gabriel was born. If one was to compare, then Gabriel's world was not even one tenth the size of the smallest of the five upper realm worlds.

When one looks at the whole upper realm, Gabriel's world was only fiftieth the size. That was also why not many people paid attention to his world, until he came out of that place, and brought chaos to the upper realm along with him.

It was only at that point that the name of Earth started resounding in the Upper Realm, but only with hostility.

Even though Gabriel didn't randomly kill people in the upper realm, and only targeted a particular set of people to gather the life essence needed to bring his sister back, but that still wasn't enough for the people of the upper realm who hated and feared him.

undefinedAmongst the five worlds, the world at the center was the most protected, and also restricted. It was the place where the leader of the Upper Realm stayed after all.

The other four worlds surrounded the central world from four sides. Each of the four worlds was guarded by one of the four Generals that worked directly under the Upper Realm Overlord.

When last time Gabriel came to the Upper Realm, he had appeared in the Southern Upper World.

However, even for him, it proved to be almost impossible to reach the central Upper Realm world since even he couldn't open a portal to that place! The Central World was truly restricted! Only the four Generals could open the portal to the central world.

It was the same as last time. A portal opened in the Southern Upper World. Gabriel was the first person to step out of the portal, followed by Jia and the Goddess of Nature.

"Is this the Southern World?" Jia said, breathing in the distinct elemental aura. "From what I heard, even last time you came to this place first. Isn't it too dangerous to come to the same place twice? Since they already know you're back, it's even more dangerous to be here."

As she had loved in the upper realm for quite some time, she had a good understanding of the place. It doesn't take her long to realize where they were.

Gabriel appeared quite carefree, even as she expressed her concern.

"The most dangerous place is often the safest." After a moment, he finally spoke.

He also knew that the Upper Realm was probably on high alert. He expected that much. However, he was also sure that the four Generals weren't going to think that he was stupid enough to come from the same spot where he came last time. That's why, for him, this was the safest place.

He knew that they expected too much from him, and he took advantage of the situation.

Even though he brought Jia with him, it was only because she knew the latest changes in this world. His information was a thousand years old. He didn't know what kind of powers now existed in this world and what powerful clans had appeared ever since he disappeared.

He still remembered that the last time he was here, he didn't know anything about this world. He only wanted to gather some life essence from powerful mages.

It was when he was walking around this place that he met a young man, who was from a clan that resided nearby.

At that time, Gabriel didn't know that the clan was one of the three strongest clans in the Upper Realm.

To receive more information about this world, he went with the young man. Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated quite fast.

Even he hadn't expected the kind of hostility he received when people in the clan found out that he was from a lower realm. Those people acted as if he was some bacteria that could make them all sick.

What was even worse was that the clan then tried to kill and bury him.

"When one organization disappears, another appears to fill the void," he muttered, looking in a particular direction.

He had destroyed that entire clan the last time he was here. That was also what started his last journey in this world. However, he also knew that there was a reason one of the three strongest clans in the southern world was established in this place.

It was because of the resources available here. For those resources, he already expected another clan to have established themselves here in the last thousand years.

"Is there a clan nearby?" he asked. The last time, he was only here to gather enough life sources so he didn't care about anything else. However, this time, his goal was much bigger.

"Ah, yeah. The Wester Clan I think." Jia answered, after thinking for a brief moment. "After you left this place in ruins and left, there was said to be a battle between multiple clans to take control of this region."

"In that battle, the Wester Clan won. At that time, it used to be a large clan but not enough to compare to the top three clans. However, in the last thousand years, their strength has only increased. There are one of the five strongest clans in the Southern World."

Jia had also lived in the Southern World for quite some time, thus she knew quite a lot of information about the workings. There was another reason she knew of the Wester Clan so well.

"Even though the Wester Clan isn't the strongest, but even the strongest clans are careful around them. So it's better if we avoid them."

"Why would the stronger clans be apprehensive of them?" Gabriel asked, slightly curious. However, even as he asked, he didn't stop walking.

Even as Jia told him to avoid the Wester Clan, that was exactly where he was going.

"You... Isn't your target the goddess of Light? Shouldn't we avoid the other problems in the meantime?" Jia asked, chasing after Gabriel.

"How do you expect us to reach her then?" It wasn't Gabriel but the Goddess of Nature who answered, as if she could guess what Gabriel was thinking.

"In the last thousand years, she must be in a high enough position in the Upper World. We can't just directly go to her, without knowing anything else. Your information about her is also superficial," she further stated before explaining. "What we need now is an insider to get more information. And who better than one of the top clans?"

"But the Wester Clan is dangerous! The daughter of the current head of the Wester Clan is a concubine of the Southern General who works right under..." She didn't finish her sentence since she knew that everyone else already understood.

The Wester Clan wasn't dangerous because of their strength only. However, they were dangerous because they were close to the Southern General.

undefinedEven though the Southern General was the weakest amongst the Four Generals of the King of Upper Realm, his strength still wasn't anything to scoff at. His strength was said to be at true god level!

"Oh?" Gabriel slowed down, showing some intrigued. "There's that link as well? Doesn't that just make it better?"

"Better? How? Isn't it worse? If the Southern General finds out, we're all dead. It'll be even worse if he comes with the other Generals."

Jia didn't know what Gabriel was thinking about. She was only a guide here. However, even she could feel that it was dangerous to get close to the Wester Clan, especially since the entire upper realm was on high alert against them!

"You'll understand when the time comes..."

Gabriel didn't speak further. Instead, he brought out a mask out of thin air, placing it over his face.

It was one of the treasures he had refined after taking all the Numens from Lambard. He used the ring of disguise as a base, and added even more of his purest elemental energy along with other treasures.

In the Upper Realm, he was sure that almost everyone already knew his face, at least most people. If he wanted to achieve his goals at the fastest, he couldn't reveal his true face so soon since he didn't want to play into the hands of the Goddess of Light!

He knew she wanted him to fight the Upper Realm, to weaken both sides. By now, he understood her too well. He didn't want to play along, until he dealt with her.

Before coming here, he had also realized another reason why the Goddess of Light granted him her Element.

Even though it was a small fraction of her element, it was still part of her divine power. Thanks to that, no matter where he was, she could sense him. It was as if he was walking with a tracker.

Even though it was only a guess, he was almost certain of it. That was also why he had sealed the Element of Light and the Element of Darkness within his body, cutting off the connection temporarily.

...

Just as Gabriel expected, the Goddess of Light had sensed when he cut off the connection on earth. She couldn't believe that he managed to realize her intentions. She was slightly taken aback, not knowing where in the Upper Realm that guy was.

Initially, she was planning on keeping an eye on Gabriel through her Elemental connection with him, and then leaking this information to the four generals one way or another.

However, now she herself doesn't know where he was. The only thing she knew was that he was already in the Upper Realm! But which of the four worlds he was in, she didn't know!

"That guy... He's really careful. But it doesn't matter. No matter how much you struggle, you'll have to play right into my hands at the end of the day. I'll find a way to drag you out of your hole!"

The Goddess of Light clenched her fist, coming up with the next plan of her own.

The Wester Clan was one of the five biggest clans in the Upper Realm. It covered a precious piece of land, containing many important resources. However, not even the strongest clans acted arrogant against them, since the Southern General was involved!

The King was the ruler of the entire upper realm. However, he never really left the Central World for some reason. Because of that, the four worlds were managed by the four generals, who didn't interfere in each other's duties.

In that way, it wasn't wrong to say that the Southern General was the ruler of the southern world. He was also the strongest in this world! No one wanted to have the Southern General as their enemy, especially over some resources!

Things were even more complicated since the woman from the Wester Clan who became the Southern General's concubine was his favorite out of all his wives! It was said that the Southern General fulfilled most of her wishes, as long as they weren't overboard.

Thanks to that connection, the Wester Clan grew more and more arrogant throughout the years, not putting anyone in their eyes. A person acting against them was the same as them acting against the fifth strongest person in the entire Upper Realm after all!

The youngsters of Wester Clan were even worse, doing anything they pleased without worrying about consequences. They killed people who looked at them in a way that they didn't like.

The people from the Wester Clan acted as if the region and its people were their properties, kidnapping girls that attracted their fancy in broad daylight.

Almost everyone in the region hated the Wester Clan, but they couldn't do anything about it! They could only pray to gods to send someone to save them from this constant torment.

Gabriel had changed his face into something unrecognizable. As for the Goddess of Nature, no one in the upper realm had seen her face other than the traitors. Moreover, the ones who saw Jia with him on earth had already been dealt with, or left behind. Thus, he only hid his face before entering the Wester Clan's territory.

The weather in this place was a little cold, but Gabriel's was full of warmth, covered in his protective aura.

"This is the region controlled by the Wester Clan. We have to be extremely careful here. Alright?" Jia asked, particularly looking at Gabriel.

However, Gabriel appeared uninterested, looking instead at his surroundings. The place looked very different from the last time he was here. It looked... lifeless. The eyes of the people here also appeared to be dead, as if they were just living without any hope or will to live.

Gabriel expressed his observation, "There is something both familiar and unfamiliar about this place."

The mask had transformed his appearance, making him seem much younger. He now looked like a man in his late twenties, with shorter hair than his usual long locks.

At first glance, he appeared non-threatening, with his blue eyes and youthful appearance. It was unlikely that anyone would assume he had any training in combat or ever held any weapons.

Since he was being accompanied by a beauty like the Goddess of Nature, he appeared even more like some young master who wasn't from this region.

"Of course it feels different. Even though most of the places are similar to the past, the people and their temperament is different," Jia replied.

undefined"If my memory serves me right, during your last visit here, this city was renowned for its thriving art. Yet, unfortunately, it seems that very little of that former charm has been preserved."

"What do these people do now?" Gabriel asked. "And why don't I see any young men here. All I see are old people, children and young women?"

"Of course you don't see them. Every man who is able to work has been sent to a mine to dig crystal ores. And the ones who refused... They are probably already killed if I'm not wrong," Jia responded. "Even though the people here look free, they're no different than slaves who can't even control their own lives."

"Why don't they just leave this place and go to another region? Wouldn't that be better than this?"

Gabriel's experiences in life had already exposed him to many things, and he understood that life could be unjust. As a result, he didn't feel much empathy for these individuals. Nevertheless, he remained curious.

"They aren't allowed to," Jia shook her head lightly. "If they were allowed, they would've already left. Anyone who tries to take one step out of the region without the Wester Family's permission is killed on the spot."

"And even if these people somehow gathered enough courage to take the risk, they don't have enough money for this journey. They would've died of hunger or been killed by beasts before they could even get to the border of this region."

"When the choice was between dying, or working like a slave, many people would often choose the latter, at least the mortals would..." The Goddess of Nature chimed in. It was the same principle all around the world.

"Do you want to help them?" Jia asked, wondering if that's why Gabriel was asking so many questions.

"No need. Even though these people probably hate the Wester Family, they'll probably be the first ones to expose me in lieu of rewards from the Wester Family if I try to get involved in their mess." Gabriel shrugged, not paying much attention.

The words of the Goddess of Nature rang true as these individuals had accepted their current circumstances. Despite their disliking of their situations, the majority had opted for potential stability when faced with risks of attempting an escape.

It wasn't worth it for him to risk his goals in exchange for helping these people.

As Gabriel walked through the former City of Art, a group of young people on horseback suddenly appeared from a different entrance, galloping through the streets.

The City's streets appeared nearly deserted, as though people were already informed about this race.

Those who remained on the streets were swiftly taken down by various spells, eliminated instantly, as if they were mere hindrances to the pleasure-seeking of the youth.

One such person who was killed was a young child , appearing to be only eight or nine years old.

As the horse came closer suddenly, the young child was stunned, frozen in place. However, before anyone could help him move, his body blew up as a ball of fire came from one of the youths on the horse.

It was also surprising to see that the youngsters were only in their late twenties yet they possessed strength comparable to that of a Demigod on earth.

"Hahaha, little brat, you can never defeat me!" Amidst a pleasant peal of laughter, a young woman could be heard speaking as she confidently rode the front-most horse. Her companions trailed close behind, attempting to catch up to her pace.

She bravely held onto her position as her fiery red locks blew in the wind.

"Don't be so overconfident, my dear sister! The outcome will be different this time! I'll overtake you and win this race!" The young man who was in second place wore a slight frown on his face, trying to maintain a composed demeanor despite his apparent sense of urgency.

He continued, "Don't forget the bet when that happens! Your spot for the Southern General's banquet will belong to me then!"

The man possessed a strikingly similar shade of red hair to that of the woman. Additionally, their facial features shared noticeable resemblances, hinting at a possible familial connection.

"That's never happening," the woman scoffed. "I'm winning this time as well. Do you think I would've made this bet if there was even the slightest chance of me losing?! I must attend this banquet since the Northern General will be there as well! I've always wanted to see the strongest of the four Generals! I'll never lose this opportunity!"

"I'll keep my spot for the banquet and at the same time, I'll also take all your resources for the month after I win!" She laughed, giving no indication that she took her brother's words seriously.

Her horse moved so fast that many mortals in this city only saw a blurry image passing through the streets, unable to even react in time! It was as if even the horses that these youngsters rode weren't ordinary horses, but mythical beasts.

"Hmm?" The woman's calm face showed a frown as she saw three more people in the distance. "Are the people of this city idiots? Even after they were informed to keep the streets empty, they still didn't listen! First that child and now these three?!"

The woman raised her hand, gathering Elemental Energy in her palm. It was the same attack that she had used to kill the little child who might have blocked her path previously.

Without even thinking about giving them a warning or using a lighter spell to simply move those people aside, she straight went for the killing shot.

A flaming red elemental energy gathered before her. With a simple wave of her hand, the molten flaming sphere shot out, straight at the group of three people in the distance!

Gabriel had been walking on the streets for a long time, slowly advancing toward his destination, which was the Wester Clan palace in the next City. However, he didn't appear to be in any hurry.

He was instead curious about something else. Initially, not many people paid attention to him, but along the way, more and more people were looking at him.

For some reason, their gaze appeared to be of pity yet mockery at the same time. It was as if all the people knew something that he didn't.

Moreover, even though it was subtle, he could see some hate in the eyes of those people. It was as if they hated him, simply because he appeared to be a wealthy young master who didn't suffer like them. It was as if those people would've been happy if he was hurt or killed.

Even though Gabriel was intrigued, he didn't even try to talk to these people.

undefinedHowever, soon, his footsteps came to a halt. Even though the shadow horses were fast and didn't make much noise, he still felt them and the vibrations on the ground. It was as if multiple people were coming here.

Noticing their movements, he had a guess as to who these people were. It was clearly people from the Wester Clan. He finally understood what those gazes meant! The citizens of this city already knew about this.

They probably wanted him to somehow block or offend the Wester Clan and die in the process! That way, they would've expected the clan behind him to attack the Wester Clan, causing mutual destruction.

Since Gabriel didn't want to have any conflict with the Wester Clan, he decided to move and not block the path. He had much better things to do. However, before he could even take a single step to the side, he frowned.

The horses were still far away from him, yet he felt a blazing attack coming straight for his direction! What was worse was that this wasn't an attack that could be dodged. It was as if this spell had locked in on him. No matter where he moved, the blazing sphere was going to follow until it hit him.

"Watch out!" Even though Gabriel had already noticed it, Jia reacted first. She pulled out her heavy sword, moving before Gabriel.

Standing before Gabriel, she swung her heavy sword. The blazing sphere of flames that could destroy anything in its path was cut in two halves when faced with Jia's sword!

Even though Jia was also a Demigod level being like the youngsters, but she had lived a long life and had a lot of experience. Even amongst the Demigods, she was amongst the strongest! She had lived for more than a thousand years after all.

Moreover, since the red haired woman didn't use all her strength behind her attack, the attack was much weaker than it could've been!

The red haired woman from the Wester Clan was taken aback! She thought that a single attack was enough to kill all three people who appeared to have never used a single spell in their lives. However, to her surprise just the little girl alone had managed to destroy her attack.

She really wanted to stop there and take care of the girl, but she knew that if she did, she was going to lose this race! Her little brother wasn't going to stop here after all! She also couldn't delay for the time being since a lot of things were on the line in this bet.

"You didn't have to take action," Gabriel let out. "That level of attack was easy to handle for me."

"I know. But I don't want you to reveal yourself," Jia responded. "Leave such small matters to me."

She lowered her Sword, focusing her attention on the horses in the distance. Even though she didn't want to have any conflict with the Wester Clan which was close to a General, but she knew that things would've been much worse if she hadn't taken action!

She had already seen Gabriel's battle on earth. She knew that if he fought against these youngsters, he was probably going to kill them accidentally.

"Let me do the talking. I know a lot about the Upper Realm. If we pretend to be from another great clan, we should be safer. Moreover, we might also get an easier entry into the Wester Clan Palace," she reminded Gabriel.

Gabriel also knew what she was trying to do. Even though she wanted to save those youngsters from being killed by him, but she had another purpose.

If he had taken action, it would've been revealed that he was also a powerful mage. However, since she took action instead, even though she had been walking behind him all the time, it was enough to make others believe that she was her guard!

To have a Demigod level guard wasn't something special in the eyes of the Wester Clan. However, to have a Demigod level guard while being a mortal... That was enough to make the others curious about his identity.

Only High Ranking Clans would've bothered assigning guards to their heirs! While talented heirs would've had stronger guards, mortal heirs would've had Demigod level guards since the threat to their lives was minimal.

That's what Jia wanted others to believe... It was that he was an heir of some great clan who couldn't use magic!

After the initial attack, the red haired woman didn't attack again. She only signaled to her guard, who was following her secretly.

She didn't tell the guard to kill Gabriel. Instead, she sent her guard to find out more about Gabriel and to stop him from trying to interrupt the race.

A Shadow Guard appeared before Jia. His aura was stronger than Jia's aura, but it was weaker than the aura of the Goddess of Nature. Fortunately, her aura was hidden safely so that even the Shadow Guard couldn't sense it.

"Don't move if you don't want to die!" The Shadow Guard exclaimed, revealing a trace of his aura that was enough to send mortals down to their knees, shivering.

Unfortunately, to his surprise, it didn't have any effect. Gabriel remained in his place, calmly looking at the horses in the distance, as if he couldn't even feel that aura.

"It looks like you really are some big clan's heir, to even have a treasure to protect you from my aura." The Shadow Guard frowned.

In his eyes, Gabriel and the Goddess of Nature were just mortals who didn't have a shred of magic inside their bodies! However, for them to seem completely fine under his suppression, he thought they had some high ranking treasures given by their clans.

"Which Clan are you from?!" The Shadow Guard asked in a commanding tone.

However, his expressions soon went pale.

The eldest daughter of the Wester Clan held the esteemed position of the clan's heir, despite her youth. Her standing within the clan was also very high.

For the sake of her safety, she was assigned several guards who covertly followed her, ensuring that they remained undetected.

In fact, the one who had shown up was the weakest of her guards. There were still many who were invisible. They were much stronger than the guard who approached Gabriel.

Even though the other powerful Guards were invisible, hiding all their traces to an extent where even their young mistress didn't know about their presence, but they couldn't stay hidden from Gabriel.

Upon sighting the horses, Gabriel quickly took notice of the guards discreetly trailing nearby.

undefinedUpon observing the high level of the guards, Gabriel couldn't help but pay more attention to the Wester Clan, recognizing it as a clan with some depth.

Regardless, he had no desire to harm the guards as he deemed them unimportant in his overall goal. He instead focused his attention on a much larger objective.

Unfortunately, not everyone was the same.

Unlike him, the Goddess of Nature was slightly short-tempered. She was quite frustrated by the behavior of the red-haired woman. She intended to teach her a lesson, to calm herself.

As the horses approached, a solitary vine discreetly emerged from the ground unnoticed by the others. Its impeccable timing allowed it to strike the horse's leg, catching everyone off guard as they were focused on Gabriel instead.

Bang~

As the horse stumbled and fell onto the ground, the red-haired woman was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. However, her quick reflexes kicked in, and she leaped off the horse just in time, avoiding any injuries.

The Vine, however, vanished without a trace as if it had never existed.

The woman with fiery red hair touched down on the ground with grace and agility. She wore a look of disappointment on her face as she watched her brother and the rest of the racers disappear into the distance, leaving her trailing behind. Despite her natural talent, she knew it was a futile effort to catch up with her injured horse.

"Don't worry, dear sister. I'll wait for you back at home!" In the distance, a young man's voice could be heard, taunting and full of mirthful laughter.

The woman's frustration boiled over as she watched her brother depart, causing her to tightly clench her fist. In a burst of rage, she struck the horse's head with a forceful stomp, tragically causing its instantaneous death, as if the animal was somehow to blame for her devastating defeat.

Despite the unfortunate incident of her horse falling, she did not attribute it to the influence of any magical power. Reasoning that she did not feel any magical aura around her during the fall, she simply blamed her equine companion for not being up to the task.

"Argh! That bastard!" She let out a loud roar of frustration, her anger already reaching its boiling point. She couldn't help but feel regret for not setting any rules for this bet, which only intensified her frustration.

Since there were no rules, then her loss couldn't be challenged. She had indeed lost the right to her invitation. In the end, she couldn't do anything but follow the bet that was approved by her father!

Despite having killed the horse, her rage persisted as she directed her attention toward Gabriel and his companions.

Before, she had ignored them due to her busy race and didn't want to waste too much time, but the situation had changed now.

"Did you really have to mess with her?" Gabriel spoke in a hushed voice that only the Goddess of Nature could hear.

"She was too arrogant. I had to make her suffer a little," the Goddess of Nature replied.

Gabriel let out a sigh, feeling that the other person he was communicating with was still acting immaturely. Despite that, he carried on with the secret communication method they were using.

Yulia, with her striking red hair, strode towards Gabriel, displaying signs of annoyance, yet her primary focus seemed to be directed towards Jia, who had intercepted her attack earlier.

Yulia expressed her frustration, "If you hadn't interrupted me, I wouldn't have fallen. And now, nothing can make up for my loss, not even your lives."

Even though she acted as if their lives weren't enough, she still intended to kill them all. Previously, she would've at least tried to find out their identity, but now she was so angry, she didn't think twice.

"Kill them all," she commanded her guard.

The guard nodded in response. In his eyes, it was easy to kill these people.

"Yael Clan."

Just as the guard was about to attack, Jia spoke. Even though she only said two words, they were enough to make the guard pause, looking in the direction of Yulia.

Yael Clan wasn't just a name. It was the name of the strongest Clan in the Southern World. The region under their control was more than ten times the size of the Wester Clan!

As for the strength, the Yael Clan was so strong that the Wester Clan couldn't even be compared. Even though the Yael Clan didn't have any conflict with them, it was also because they didn't need to.

Even though the Yael Clan was apprehensive of the Wester Clan's relationship with the Southern General, but if they accidentally killed an heir, then it was unlikely that the Yael Clan was going to stay silent!

Even the Southern General might not intervene in a war with the Yael Clan since it could only weaken the Southern World even more. Moreover, it could only help the other Generals in the process!

Even Yulia frowned in response. "You're from the Yael Clan?"

She did remember hearing that the youngest son of the Yael Clan Master was born with a unique physique that made it impossible for him to use magic.

However, she didn't quite believe that Gabriel was that person. If it was a Yael Clan heir, then there was no way that the guard would only be a Demigod-level person.

"Master is the youngest son of the Yael Clan," Jia said. "Azen Yael."

She knew a lot about the Yael Clan. According to what she had heard, the youngest son of the Yael Clan was known as Azen. He was called a useless person by many people in the clan. However, the Master of the clan still loved his son equally.

Since Azen never left the clan because of his weakness, not many people had seen him. In fact, even within the Yael Clan, not many people knew what Azen looked like.

Gabriel remained silent, listening to Jia. He wanted to enter the Wester Clan without making much noise so he could directly kill the Wester Clan Master and turn him into an undead puppet.

The less conflict he had along the way, the easier it was to contain an unnecessary leak of information to the Southern General. He had already told his aim to Jia along the way. It was clear that Jia was trying to help him now.

However, Gabriel could also see that Yulia didn't believe them entirely. He also knew why that was. The Wester Clan heir had such a powerful guard, and there were many hiding in the darkness. How was it possible for the strongest clan to not do anything comparable?

undefinedFortunately, he also had a way to convince the red-haired girl.

"The Wester Clan is really as arrogant as I heard. All because of some connection. But did you really think that allows you to act arrogant before me?" he arrogantly stepped forward as if he really was some young master from a big clan. "You can try killing me if you dare,"

There was no trace of fear in his eyes as he looked directly into Yulia's eyes. "However, I can guarantee that you'll end up dead before your people can then touch my hair."

As he talked to Yulia, he also sent a secret message to the Goddess of Nature. It was time to show them just what kind of guards the Yael Clan Master sent for his precious son.

"Is that so?! And how do you expect to kill us all? With a mere Demigod level guard?" Yulia scoffed. She was already furious that she had lost the race, and now there was an idiot threatening her. She has had enough.

She didn't even take their words seriously. There was no way these weaklings were from the Yael Clan.

"Kill them all," she lazily stated. "I'll see what they can do to me!"

"Argh!"

Just as Yulia finished speaking, a scream resounded in the distance. The scream was followed by more screams.

One after another, screams resounded all around them.

"These screams... They are..." The guard who was standing next to Yulia was stunned. He recognized the voices. They belonged to the other guards, who were even stronger than him.

However, before he could tell Yulia, all the guards' bodies came flying, falling to Yulia's feet.

All the bodies were dressed in the shadow guard attire of the Wester Family, and they all had one thing in common... They all had a hole in their chest as if they didn't even know when they were killed.

In the distance, bloody vines went back inside the ground after killing and tossing the guards that were hiding in secret.

"This..." Yulia was taken aback as the bodies of her guards fell on her feet.

Some of the guards were ones that even she had never seen. She didn't know there were so many guards that her father had assigned to her. However, the ones she recognized... She knew their strength!

For someone to kill her guards so easily... It only showed just how strong the killer was.

She couldn't help but think back to Gabriel's words.

"You have more guards?" She exclaimed, taken aback. Indeed, now this perfectly made sense for her!

She thought the man couldn't be from the Yael Clan since he had a weak guard. At best, he was from a middle-strength clan, pretending to be from the Yael Clan.

However, now that all her guards were killed in an instant, it meant he had more guards... Ones that were hiding nearby... And they were so strong that her guards couldn't even sense them!

She could only guess how many guards he had. However, in her mind, that number wasn't less than the number of her guards. This guy was definitely... Azen Yael, the cherished youngest son of the Yael Family!

That made Yulia feel even worse. First, she lost the race. She also lost the invitation to the banquet. At the same time, she now also offended the Yael Clan, and even then, she lost?!

There was only one guard left with Yulia. However, she was quite scared. His entire body was covered in sweat as he felt relieved that he hadn't attacked yet. Or else, he would've been a dead body as well.

"Y-young lady was just joking. The Yael Clan is a friend. Why would we hurt you? Isn't that right?" he asked Yulia, wiping his sweat.

Currently, they were at Gabriel's mercy, and at least they had to calm the situation down first. Unfortunately, they had already tried killing that guy, so it wasn't easy.

"You don't need to bother. You're too weak. You're not worth our time," Gabriel responded, shaking his head lightly. "If it weren't for your young lady to attack us, we wouldn't even bother talking to you since we are just passing by your territory."

Now that the bait was set, all he had to do was act that he wasn't here for the Wester Clan and try leaving. Since these people had already offended him, he was certain that they were going to make up for it by inviting him to their clan. That was just what he needed.

Just as he stated, he didn't pay attention to the young lady of the Wester Clan and continued leaving without even glancing back.

Even as he walked away, he kept his attention behind him, waiting for them to stop him. Unfortunately, Yulia didn't try to stop him, which was strange. It was clear that she was still angry and embarrassed.

Fortunately, just as he thought that he had to think of something else, the guard called out to them. "Wait!"

[Three hours later]

Gabriel stood before the majestic castle, which was the home of the Wester Clan. He had finally reached his destination.

Along the way, he also saw many guards and many dangerous trap formations, some of which he had never seen before. It was as if the Wester Clan had taken many precautions to make sure that they didn't suffer the same fate as the last clan which used to rule over this land.

Without being accompanied by Yulia, he didn't think he could've had such an easier time to reach this place.

undefinedJust as he was about to leave the City of art, the guard had stopped him, apologizing for what happened. At the same time, the guard invited him to meet their Patriarch without asking Yulia. He took the decision on his own, believing that even the Wester Clan Patriarch was going to think that this was the right decision.

As Gabriel reached the clan with Yulia and her guard, he saw a young man, standing at the entrance with a smug look on his face, as if he had been waiting for quite some time. It was the same young man who was right behind Yulia in the face before taking over.

"My dear sister, you're finally back. You kept me waiting a long time." He stepped down the stairs, stepping closer to his sister.

He didn't even pay any attention to Gabriel and the others, as if they weren't even present there. He simply reached out his hand before his sister, as if asking for something.

Yulia could only clench her teeth, placing a small invitation token in the hand of her brother!

Even though the Wester Clan was related to the Southern General, they still only received three invitation tokens to the banquet. The first two were kept by the Patriarch and his wife while the third was given to the Eldest Daughter, leading to the jealousy of her younger brother and subsequently this bet which resulted in her loss.

"Hahaha, that's more like it. I'll miss you at the General's banquet, my dear sis." The young man kept the invisible token in his pocket safely before going back inside the castle, as if he was worried that his sister was going to have a change of heart and steal the token from him.

"That bastard!" Yulia scoffed, entering the castle as well, leaving Gabriel to her guard. She didn't want to see anyone's face anymore.

"General's Banquet?"

After Yulia left, Gabriel asked the question to the Guard accompanying them. When he came here, he had already seen that some preparations were being made.

Carriages were being filled with precious treasures, as if they were to be gifted to someone. Moreover, he heard the name of the Southern General a few times as well.

"The Southern General's banquet. It looks like you left your clan quite some time ago, for you to not know." The guard smiled, leading everyone inside the castle. "All the top ten clans received two invitation tokens for the banquet while our clan received three because we're special."

He also started talking about the bet between the two siblings, as if trying to justify why their young miss was so upset.

"Southern General is throwing a banquet?" Gabriel asked, slightly surprised. Even though this wasn't his intention when coming here, this was indeed a great opportunity for him to get to the Southern General, which was almost impossible nowadays with how alert that guy was.

"That's right. It's his 1500th birthday, which also coincides with the time when the Northern General was stated to visit the Southern Realm. So he apparently decided to hit two birds with one stone," the Guard explained. Even though the explanation was basic, but it gave Gabriel a lot of understanding about what was happening.

The banquet didn't just lead to the Southern General but also the Northern General! From what he had heard, the Goddess of Light was also in the Northern Upper World! However, it was also clear that dealing with two Generals was dangerous since his disguise wasn't going to work on them.

Even when he could hide his aura, as long as he was in their presence, there was a good chance that they could see through him. The opportunity was riddled with many dangers.

From the outside, the place looked like a simple castle. However, it was only when Gabriel walked inside that he realized that the castle contained a different space inside itself, which was akin to a small world in itself with mountains and rivers.

The guard brought Gabriel and his group to a smaller castle inside, which was reserved for guests only. Since he hadn't talked to the Patriarch, he didn't bring Gabriel there directly, and instead made him wait while he went there to report.

"This was easier than expected." The Goddess of Nature sat on the bed in the guest house, slightly amazed at how easy it was to reach this place. If they wanted, they could now destroy this place from inside.

"The Clan has been peaceful for quite some time, thanks to their relationship with the Southern General. It's understandable that they wouldn't be as careful, not expecting anyone to dare attack them." Jia agreed. At this speed, she could feel that they were closer to their goals. Maybe they didn't need to fight at all.

Unlike last time when Karyk exposed his presence by destroying a clan openly, they were more careful this time.

"If that's what you think, then you really underestimate them," Gabriel chimed in, standing near the window. "They're already planning to kill us. We're surrounded."

"Huh? Did they find out the truth?" Jia stood up, running closer to the window, looking outside. However, she couldn't see anything.

"I doubt that's the case. They would've been more careful if that was it," Gabriel shook his head lightly. "Instead, it's more like they're planning to kill us because of the identity we used to get here."

Initially, he went with Jia's plan, but now that he was actually here, he realized that they had indeed missed something. Instead of making up with the 'heir' of Yael Clan, the Wester Clan directly decided to kill them after luring them inside, where they had no chance of escape.

Gabriel had considered two possibilities behind it. First was that they already knew what Azen Yael looked like. And the second was that they didn't care. They just didn't want to pay to make up for Yulia's mistakes, instead burying them here forever.

Other than them, no one else knew that they were inside the Wester Clan after all.

"And here I thought I could go easy this time."

Gabriel opened the door, after noticing some powerful auras getting closer. Since the clan already knew about his so-called strong guards, they had sent their elders to get rid of him swiftly.

undefinedGabriel took off his mask, keeping it in his storage. His looks returned to his usual looks. At the same time, his clothes changed, turning all back.

Gabriel opened the door, stepping outside. Just like before, no one could be seen at sight. However, it was obvious that there were over a hundred people around the castle where they were told to stay.

Amongst the hundred auras, at least ten were stronger than the Goddess of Light.

The Elders of the Wester Clan were told to kill the guests swiftly. However, they felt like it was too much to ask them to kill a few kids, as if it was a waste of their time.

Unfortunately, despite their objection, the Patriarch of the Wester Clan didn't listen to them, as if he didn't care even if he used a hammer to kill a small ant. All the Elders were free all day anyway.

The Elders thought that it was an easy task to take care of a kid and his guards. However, before they reached the guest's castle, they were taken aback, seeing a young man come out.

They hadn't seen Gabriel's old look. So they thought that his current self was the same person they were tasked to kill. They were initially surprised, wondering if the guy sensed them. They thought it was impossible.

For a few seconds, they were still, unmoving. They simply observed Gabriel from a distance. However, strangely enough, they only saw Gabriel walking lazily near the castle, as if he was just taking a walk since he was bored.

The Elders couldn't help but scoff in response. It was clear that this guy still didn't know about them.

They weren't as cautious as before and finally moved. One of the Elders sealed the space around the castle with Gabriel inside it. Only they were able to enter and leave that space that they had sealed Gabriel and the other inside.

After sealing the space to make sure that Gabriel and no one else could escape, they finally stopped hiding, revealing themselves.

At the same time, thousands of lightning spears appeared above the castle and Gabriel's head, as if simply waiting for commands and they would've fallen on Gabriel, killing him.

"I don't sense any guards nearby, other than two women inside the castle." One of the Elders said, smiling. He could see that the Goddess of Nature was strong, but compared to them, it wasn't threatening enough.

The elder clenched his fists. All the lightning bolts fell from the sky at the same time.

However, strangely enough, as they drew closer to Gabriel, they suddenly changed direction, striking the ground around him instead.

Gabriel stood unharmed, a shield of energy surrounding him. His eyes were just as expressionless as before, not surprising in the least by their sudden appearance.

The other Lightning Bolts fell on the castle, bringing the entire building crashing down, turning it into nothing but rubble. There was no movement inside the rubble, implying that everyone inside was killed.

However, the Elders soon realized that it wasn't the case. Multiple vines came out of the group, as if carrying a giant closed flower inside them.

The flower bloomed next to Gabriel, revealing two women inside it - Jia and the Goddess of Nature.

At the same time, the Elders frowned, sending a change in the space around them. They had already sealed the space, but they were free of that seal. However, at the same time, a new seal appeared around them, trapping them inside as well. What was even worse was that the second seal was even stronger than their own Spatial Seal!

They felt as if even if they all attacked the seal together, they couldn't break it!

At the same time, they finally felt a trace of Gabriel's aura. Even though it was just a small trace, it still felt like a mountain pressing down on them.

"You... You aren't Azen! He's supposed to be a mortal! Who are you?!" The First Elder asked, grimacing. Amongst the three people there, none was a mere mortal!

"So it was the latter... You didn't know the truth when you decided to attack," Gabriel muttered, sighing. If only these people hadn't attacked him, things could've progressed smoothly.

However, now that it came to this point, he could only send the Wester Clan down the same path as the last clan who tried to kill him in this exact place a thousand years ago.

From within Gabriel's shadow, multiple undead Soldiers came out, all possessing strength comparable to the Goddess of Nature, having unique abilities of their own.

"U-undeads?! You're Karyk?!" The Elders exclaimed. They had already heard a lot about Karyk, especially in recent days! All the Generals were on high alert against him after all! Moreover, he was the only person who could use the strength of the undead!

Gabriel didn't answer. He only watched his Undead Soldiers move. It had been so long since he used his army to take care of his enemies. It felt slightly relaxing, since he didn't even have to move at all. It was a feeling that he missed a lot

Even though he sent his Undead to kill everyone who was inside his domain, he also decided to join in as well, intending to go straight for the Patriarch of the Wester Clan.

Gabriel prepared to leave, but at that exact moment, he suddenly grabbed his chest as his face turned slightly pale.

He abruptly coughed out a mouthful of blood, feeling a scorching pain deep within his soul. It was as if he was burning and freezing at the same time!

The pain was so overwhelming, even for someone like him who had gone through so much. Moreover, this was clearly not because of any attack from outside. It was from deep within...

Gabriel's body felt extremely weak, as he somewhat lost his balance.

undefinedThe Goddess of Nature and Jia were looking at the battle in the distance. Multiple powerful spells were used all around, that kept destroying the nearby terrain. However because of the domain seal, the loud sound of explosion was contained in this place.

The two ladies don't notice Gabriel's unsteady steps as he tried to maintain his balance. To some extent, it looked as if he was extremely drunk with his unsteady steps.

There was a look of confusion on his face, not realizing what was happening to him.

Even with his weakness, he tried to observe his soul, where the pain came from. However, as he saw his soul, his expressions became even darker!

There was a small crack on his soul which didn't use to be there in the past. In the soul crack, he could feel some trace of light and darkness as well, which previously wasn't noticeable.

The crack was very small, but it was slowly extending out, making him feel a pain worse than death.

He had thought that he had entrapped the element of Light and the Element of Darkness to prevent himself from being tracked. However, he just realized that there was a small trace of that impure aura that had already seeped inside when his old soul was merging with his new soul.

Initially, the traces were so small that they weren't even noticeable. That's why he thought that the sync of his two souls was absolutely perfect. However, with time, that corruption deep within his two souls was extending.

"That woman!" He couldn't help but suddenly roar, looking at the sky! It was clearly the work of the Goddess of Light!

When two souls were merged after rebirth, absolute purity was needed. He had thought that all the conditions were satisfied when he woke up. However, he just now understood that there was another reason the Goddess of Light had granted him the Element of Light!

She wanted to use another Element when his original soul wasn't awake, to slowly corrupt his new soul with the Element of Light!

Thanks to that, his soul merger that was previously in perfect condition was slowly starting to seperate. It was clearly a self protection step that she had taken.

She wanted to use Karyk to kill the Ruler of the Upper Realm. However, at the same time, she didn't want to create a monster that even she couldn't take down! That's why she used this method, which was akin to using a slow poison!

The more this corruption spread, the worse it was for him!

Within her Palace, the Goddess of Light was standing near the window, taking a sip of drink. Even though she knew Karyk wanted her dead, she was still somewhat calm.

"It should set in soon. Maybe a week at best." Her voice echoed in the room where no one could hear her. "I wonder what you'll do now, old friend. You will soon know what I actually did. I wonder what kind of expressions you'll make when you find out. I wish I could've seen that..."

"The worse your soul merger becomes, the weaker you'll get. So before that happens, you should try to kill the King of the Upper Realm. Since you'll only get weaker from that point on. If you still go after me, even if you kill me, you'll end up dead at his hands."

" So it would be wise for you to think carefully, and take care of the stronger one while you have a chance... As for me, you'll never get a chance to reach me... At least not until you end up dead!"

"I really hope that you help me one more time before you die... Just like last time you helped me with your death..." She revealed a calm smile, looking at the two moons in the sky.

The pain within his soul only kept increasing, forcing Gabriel to sit on the ground, using his own aura of death to nourish his soul. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy since the corruption of the other Elements had already corrupted his second soul.

Gabriel felt immense bloodlust rising within his heart as he thought about the Goddess of Light who did this.

The Goddess of Nature finally noticed Gabriel, who didn't look to be in a good condition. He was sweating profusely while sitting on the ground.

Most of the time, he looked like a person who could face anything in this world without even flinching, yet that same person now appeared to be going through something that made him reveal those never before seen expressions.

"What happened to you?" The Goddess of Nature approached him, reaching out his hand. Even though Gabriel couldn't get sick, but she still tried to send some of her natural healing energy to his body to help him to the best of her abilities.

However, something went terribly wrong. As soon as she touched Gabriel, a burst of soul energy came from within his body, sending her flying!

Even Jia was taken aback, abruptly raising her sword to protect herself from this explosion. However, even then she wasn't in any good condition, coughing out blood repeatedly.

All her bones were aching as if she could've easily died in that attack.

All the Elders who were sent to kill Gabriel had already been killed by his Death Generals. However, even they couldn't avoid this soul energy explosion.

The Soul Energy Explosion even hurt his own Death Generals, especially since it contained the holy aura of light. Fortunately, this wasn't enough to kill his Death Generals, only hurting them in the process.

They were simply sent back flying. The Domain Seal that had closed this space from the rest of the Wester Clan also broke apart under the explosive soul energy, making this strange yet threatening energy he felt all around the Palace.

In the entire Wester Clan Palace, this energy could be sensed. Some of the weaker people in the clan died as soon as they came under the contact of this distractive energy.

Fortunately, this strange soul energy didn't leave the clan and went unnoticed by people outside the Wester Clan.

Gabriel was in constant torment and he knew that it was just the beginning.

undefinedHe had to find a way to control this pain before it consumed him completely, since this pain was only going to get worse from this point on! Moreover, he couldn't fight in this condition. He was in no situation to face the Wester Clan Patriarch.

He clenched his teeth, glaring at the Goddess of Nature. "We are leaving!"

He raised his hand, opening up a spatial portal to an unknown destination. Even with the soul crunching pain, he forced himself up, entering the portal, after sending his Death Generals back.

The Goddess of Nature also entered the portal with Jia, having a solemn look on her face. She couldn't understand what was happening to Gabriel, but it felt more as if his soul was injured somehow.

Gabriel didn't directly leave the Wester Clan either. Even though he wanted to leave, he had to take something with him.

Passing through the portal, he directly appeared within the room of the Wester Clan Patriarch's second son, grabbing him by his throat before opening another portal and disappearing with the others!

The Wester Clan and other powerful beings of the clan came out, as soon as they sensed that strange yet deadly energy. However, as they reached that place, they were only greeted with a huge crater with no life at sight!

The guest palace was destroyed and all the Elders they sent were dead. However, the people who were supposed to be killed were nowhere to be found.

The Wester Clan Patriarch ordered the entire clan to be sealed while landing on the ground, sensing the aura that was still present in the surrounding area.

The place had many auras, however there was one peculiar aura which was distinguishable. That aura's presence also stunned the middle aged man! This was an aura of Death and he knew of only one person who had this... The Death Star!

This realization made him stunned, at the same time somewhat scared. That was the person that had once terrorized the entire Upper Realm! He was also the person who had destroyed an entire overlord clan the last time he was here.

The Head of the Wester Clan didn't waste a single time. There was a great chance that the person was still inside the clan after all! However, for a person like him to suddenly disappear after creating such disturbance, something seemed amiss.

He told all the elders to stick together and be careful. In the meantime, he went back to his room as there was something there which he could use to contact the Southern General directly.

The Wester Clan Head believed he could protect himself. However, he didn't think he was strong enough to stop Karyk if the guy wanted to escape.

They finally found Karyk. He didn't want that guy to escape again and the only man in his eyes who could make sure that Gabriel died was the Southern General.

Entering the secret chamber connected to his room, he reached out his hand toward a palm sized stone tablet that was carefully kept there, protected by multiple special formations. Only he knew how to pass those dangerous formations.

Taking a deep breath, he recited the ancient incantation that would activate the tablet. A beam of light emanated from the tablet after a few moments and a holographic image of the Southern General appeared before him.

"What do you need from me?" the Southern General asked coldly.

The Wester Clan head swallowed hard before saying, "It is about Karyk! He had appeared within the clan and he's hiding somewhere! I need your assistance to make sure Karyk does not escape again."

The Southern General who initially appeared sleepy and irritated suddenly straightened up, as soon as he heard that old yet familiar name.

A thousand years ago also, that guy made a lot of trouble in his domain. Unfortunately, he was never able to catch up to him. And in the end, Karyk finally left the Upper World, going back to the smaller world.

None of the Generals could chase after Gabriel in the lower realm, since the guy had used an unknown yet powerful spell that prevented them from entering the lower realm.

Even when they found a way to make an opening in the worldly Shackles with some help, it still wasn't enough for the four Generals to enter that place. They could only send their Soldier down.

Fortunately, the Soldiers had succeeded. At least that's what they used to think, until they recently found out that Karyk was alive, and probably intending on returning to the Upper Realm. Ever since that news was received, all the Generals were alert, as if intending to make sure that Karyk would die at their hands this time.

"I'm coming!" The Southern General doesn't waste a single second, getting ready to leave. However, at the same time, he didn't forget to issue a warning. "Make sure he doesn't leave! If he escapes from me this time, I'll let out all my anger on you!"

Even though the Wester Clan Patriarch was his father in law in a sense, the Southern General didn't care one bit about that when it came to Karyk!

A portal opened up in an unknown place.

Gabriel flew out of the portal, falling on the ground. His body was burning up as if he had a fever.

He had brought the unconscious son of the Wester Clan Patriarch with him, who fell in the distance, hitting his head on the ground.

The young man started bleeding from his head, but in his unconscious condition, he couldn't do anything.

Jia and the Goddess of Nature also came out as the portal closed behind them. The both of them noticed that they were in a closed space, which appeared to be protected by some strange power!

undefinedMoreover, there were some things nearby, like a bed and a table. It was clear that this place was used by someone in the past. However, the last time it was used was a really long time ago.

"We're in the depths of the Southern World underground..." Gabriel said, wiping blood off his lips.

This was the place that he had made a thousand years ago, to rest and recover when he was hurt while trying to gather enough life sources.

He had already cast enough protective measures around this place in the past. Moreover, since this place was in the depths of this World, thousands of feet under the ground, it was also harder to locate.

The Goddess of Nature didn't care much about where they were. Instead, she was more concerned about Gabriel. She had never seen him in a condition like him in the past.

Since he made her suffer for a thousand years, she should've been pleased to see him suffer. However, that wasn't the case at all.

"How can I help?!" She didn't ask what was wrong with him as that was useless at this point. She only wanted to find a way to help him, because his situation was only getting worse.

"Elemental Soul Corruption..." Gabriel exclaimed, patting his chest. "My soul merger has been corrupted. I didn't notice at the start, but it's gotten worse..."

"Elemental Soul Corruption? Could this be because of..." The Goddess of Nature revealed a look of understanding. Even though this phenomenon was rare, it wasn't unknown.

Usually, this phenomenon was seen in Demigods, who tried to receive a god's blessings. Their souls were weak and only compatible with one element. Another elemental blessing usually corrupted their weak souls, slowly destroying it.

There was also no way to reverse this corruption which only became worse with time. With time, those Demigods became weaker.

Usually, a god like Karyk had a powerful soul. In fact, his soul was probably the most powerful amongst all gods. There was no way his soul could've been corrupted!

However, the more the Goddess of Nature thought about it, the more she understood! It was the work of the Goddess of Light, who took advantage of the fact that Karyk's godly soul was asleep.

As for Karyk's secondary soul, it was weak, and prone to accepting more elements.

She didn't directly attack Gabriel and destroy his chance of rebirth, since she wanted to use him to get rid of a bigger threat.

Another reason she didn't interfere was because she was worried that if she went to earth and tried to kill Gabriel, she might accidentally awaken his real soul and end up being killed! Even after a thousand years, she wasn't confident enough that she could face Karyk.

Thus, she came up with another method to weaken him in the future when his real soul awake.

She couldn't corrupt his main soul. However, she knew that Karyk was going to merge with his secondary soul after waking up.

The secondary soul was what she corrupted, and started waiting for when Karyk awakened and merged with the soul corrupted with her element and the element of darkness!

"Can you heal yourself?" The Goddess of Nature asked, gazing at Gabriel who was sitting with his back against a wall. His complexion looked better and he wasn't vomiting blood anymore.

However, she knew that it was just the start. These symptoms were going to get worse and his strength was going to get weaker if he didn't do anything about it.

Gabriel remained silent, not speaking anything. He just looked at the Goddess of Nature silently. His mind was clearly lost in some thought. As for what it was, no one knew.

"There is a way... But..." He muttered but didn't finish the sentence.

"What way?" The Goddess of Nature asked, frowning. She had never heard of a method that could reverse the Elemental Corruption for a god. However, she also didn't think that Gabriel was in the mind to joke.

Gabriel bit his lip, tasting some of his own blood that had dried up on his lips. His expressions were somewhat complicated, as if even he wasn't completely confident about this method.

He didn't know if this was actually going to work or not. It was also very dangerous.

The Goddess of Nature wanted to ask again, but she controlled her urge and didn't interrupt. As long as it could heal the Elemental Corruption, it was fine.

"Can you make this place bigger? This much space isn't enough..." After a brief pause, Gabriel spoke.

"Bigger?" The Goddess of Nature asked, slightly intrigued. This place was already big enough to accommodate over a hundred people easily. But they needed an even bigger place?

Despite her curiosity, she did as she was told. Multiple vines came out of the ground that started breaking the stones around the hall and eating the fragments of those stones, making this hall even bigger.

"Search his body for the Invitation Token and get rid of his body." While the Goddess of Nature was digging the ground with her incredible skills, Gabriel commanded Jia.

He didn't feel like moving anymore. While the two ladies worked, he simply sat with his back resting against the wall, drinking some water.

Simultaneously, he cast a spell to cleanse his attire and remove any traces of blood. His gaze remained fixated on something, lost in deep contemplation, suggesting he was pondering over something significant.

The Goddess of Nature doubled the space in that place, before asking if she should stop. Unfortunately, according to Gabriel, this much space wasn't even close to being enough.

He requested for her to expand it further, saying that they needed an area at least ten times larger.

The Goddess of Nature continued digging the surrounding area while using her Vines as support for the roof to make sure that the space was stable enough and didn't collapse on itself.

On the other hand, Jia found the token that was the invitation to the Southern General's Banquet. It also contained his aura. Fortunately, she soon gave the token to Gabriel who sealed this token to make sure that this couldn't be used to trade them.

After constantly using her Element for close to four hours, the Goddess of Nature finally finished, and looked back at Gabriel.

undefinedFrom a great distance, her voice came, echoing in the empty space. "Is this much enough?!"

Gabriel finally nodded, calling her back. The space was enough. And now there was some for final preparation... Which was also the most uncertain part. He had tried something similar in the past, but never to this extent. He didn't even know if it would work.

According to him, there was only less than a five percent chance of success. Unfortunately, he had no other choice. He could either play into the palm of the Goddess of Light and watch himself getting weaker. Or he could take his destiny in his own hands and do something he never imagined before!

It was clear what choice he made.

The Goddess of Nature came closer to Gabriel, sitting next to him. Her face was filled with curiosity.

She was already exhausted and didn't think that she could even move a finger anymore. She had constantly been using her abilities to change the terrain of this place, which was hard even for her, since it was the depth of an Upper Realm World! Yet, she didn't complain.

She gazed at Gabriel, waiting to see his next action. Just what did he need such a big area for?

While she was lost in thoughts, the Book of Necromancy came out from Gabriel's body. The pages started flipping on their own, until the last page opened.

A small speck of light came out from the last page, flying to the center of the giant hall! The speck of light only continued to grow bigger and bigger, before revealing what it really was.

A giant skeleton landed on the ground, stunning the Goddess of Nature and Jia.

The two had never seen the giant skeleton before. Even though the person seemingly died a long time ago and only a skeleton was left, it was still brimming with strength.

Gabriel weakly stood up. Even though the effects of the Soul Corruption had subsided temporarily, but he could still feel some effects on his body.

He walked closer to the giant skeleton. He didn't tell anyone what he was doing.

Gabriel stepped on the air, standing above the chest area of the skeleton. It was where he pulled out another thing from his Grimoire. It was the body of the True God that he had killed taking advantage of his domain.

The body fell next to the Giant Skeleton, lifelessly.

Gabriel remained in the air, closing his eyes. He usually didn't chant a spell, but this time it was different.

He started speaking the spell out loud. However, for some reason, Jia and the Goddess of Nature couldn't hear the spell that was surrounded in a strange shroud. They could hear Gabriel's voice but at the same time, they felt as if they couldn't hear it at all.

Gabriel kept chanting the mysterious spell. The body of the True God that he had killed started floating in the air, slowly rising. At the same time, blood started coming out of the man's lifeless body, as if all his blood was being sucked dry.

More and more blood came out, gathering in a blood sphere above, that kept getting bigger as the man's body shriveled.

Eventually, the man's body looked as if he was a shriveled up mummy.

After getting the blood from the man, Gabriel waved his hand lightly. The bloodless body of the man turned into a small speck of light, containing some of his life essence. The small specks of light merged with the blood, making the blood even stronger.

Gabriel floated closer to the blood sphere. For a moment, his behavior even scared Jia. It was as if he was the only God in this world who could control life and death as he wished.

Even though she couldn't see it, the dark elemental marks on Gabriel's body started growing, covering more area.

Gabriel stopped before the Bloody Sphere. He didn't stop chanting the spell at all. Instead, he simply brought out a blade that he had arranged in advance.

He poked his thumb lightly, letting a single blood droplet fall out. The blood fell on the blood sphere, entering the core.

The blood sphere slowly changed color, turning into an even darker shade. Just the aura of the blood sphere itself was incredible.

Gabriel glanced back at the skeleton. His eyes were focused, especially since he knew that a single moment of distraction could destroy everything!

He waved his hand again. The blood sphere started floating closer to the giant skeleton, ultimately falling on the skull where the forehead was supposed to be.

The strange symbols on the skeleton lit up on their own. However, they didn't resist as the blood entered the skeleton, slowly merging with it. The skeleton had already lost his soul after all.

As the Blood was absorbed by the skeleton, golden lightning flickered around it while the giant skeleton started slowly shrinking.

With each passing second, the giant skeleton shrunk a few meters, before ultimately it was only around six feet tall, similar to a human's skeleton. Only then did it stop.

However, the changes didn't stop. Gabriel tossed out a blue stone that turned into a strange light that shrouded the entire skeleton.

It was only when Gabriel finished the first step, that he landed on the ground. However, he was so exhausted that he found it hard even to remain standing.

He sat on the ground and didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes, as if he had fallen into a deep slumber.

A terrifying amount of soul energy surrounded Gabriel, making it impossible for anyone to get close to him. It was so strong that even the Goddess of Nature felt that she would've been injured heavily if she tried.

A void opened above the residence of the Wester Clan. From the void, the Southern General came out, donning a bearing black armor that made him appear like a powerful warrior.

Many members of the Wester Clan stood in awe as they watched him approach, unsure of what this unexpected visit might mean. However, the Southern General wasn't alone. There were even more people accompanying him this time.

Without having to wait for a single command, the Southern General's men surrounded the entire place.

The Southern General just looked down, standing high in the air. There was a frown on his face since he couldn't feel Karyk's aura in this place. It felt as if the guy wasn't here in the first place.

undefinedA trace of anger flashed in his eyes. He wasn't sure if the Wester Clan lied to him about Karyk's presence or if he simply failed to hold him back. There was also a possibility that Karyk was hiding his aura, but that seemed unlike him.

In any case, to get to the truth, he worked with the Wester Clan Patriarch and searched the entire place to catch Karyk.

Unfortunately, the longer the search went on, the angrier he became. In the end, Karyk was nowhere to be found.

Even when he spread out his Divine Consciousness as far as possible to search for Karyk, he couldn't find the man.

In the end, his anger only diverted to the Wester Clan Patriarch.

Even the Wester Clan Patriarch was surprised that Gabriel or those guests were nowhere to be found even though they had sealed this place soon after the incident. However, he stuck to his story, leading the Southern General to the place where Karyk had used his magic, to show him that he wasn't wrong.

"This is indeed the aura of that guy..." The Southern General stood in the bloody field, sending the aura in his surroundings. Karyk's aura was so powerful that it still hadn't disappeared from this place.

The Southern General was irritated. Karyk was actually here yet he managed to escape. He doesn't even know where Karyk could be right now. However, one thing was for certain. It was that Karyk had entered the Upper Realm! That was the news worth noting.

A large-scale hunt for Karyk was to be commenced in the Southern World. He also decided to inform the other Generals about this! Until now, they were all careful, thinking that Karyk might come there in the future. However, he was already there!

While people were getting ready to hunt Karyk to the ends of this world, the young man in question was sitting next to a skeleton shrouded by a mysterious light.

His eyes were closed and his aura was so weak that he appeared as if he could die at any moment. No one knew what he was doing but it appeared dangerous.

...

There was darkness everywhere in the void. In eternal darkness, only a void could be seen. It was as if there was nothing but empty dark space as far as the eyes could see.

In the vast darkness, there was only one source of light. It was a soul staying still in the middle of the empty void.

The soul looked completely identical to Gabriel. However, there was a small crack in the soul. The crack slowly kept increasing, as if it was some poison that was impossible to stop.

The speed of this crack increasing was so slow that it was barely noticeable.

However, the soul appeared to be going through a strange phenomenon.

Multiple golden words appeared around the soul in physical form. Those words were also the same words that Gabriel had chanted before;

All the words shrouded the soul in a mysterious light. Even though the light couldn't stop the corruption from increasing, that wasn't its purpose.

The reason for this Corruption was his main pure soul merging with his second soul which had been assimilated by other Elements at the core. This was the cause of everything.

There was only one way to solve this according to him. That was to reverse the merger. However, there was one problem with that. If the merger between his main self of Karyk and his secondary self of Gabriel was reversed, then one of the two souls had to die.

Now that his main soul was completely awakened, it wasn't impossible for his two souls ro stay in the same body. He couldn't put his main soul to sleep for an eternity again, especially since they were in such a dangerous situation. That left only one option for him.

He wanted to separate his two souls while at the same time, preparing a body completely identical to his main body, in some ways even superior to it!

He used his own blood on the skeleton to give it some of his Traits, making sure that it looked just like him and was a real person.

Next, the second body contained the skeleton of a True God that was stronger than anything he had seen. He still didn't know the mystery behind those golden words on the bones but it was certainly that the power was nothing to scoff at! And lastly, he used the blood that contained the strength of another true god.

In essence, Karyk had used his knowledge to create another person, who had the skeleton and blood of two true gods!

His main soul couldn't enter the second body as it was too strong. Moreover, all his Death Elemental Marks had already merged with this body. However, that wasn't the case for his secondary soul of Gabriel.

If he could succeed, he believed he could bring Gabriel back, separate from him. Maybe even stronger than him!

Moreover, unlike him who had to stick to only the Element of Death, Gabriel had the merged element of Light and Darkness. As long as the two souls were separated, Gabriel didn't have to worry about Soul Corruption again.

Karyk didn't want to do this initially since there were lots of risks involved, but in the end, they had no chance. They could either watch themselves getting weaker or separate!

"You are... Me?"

A calm voice was heard in the void as a young man's Spiritual Consciousness appeared. The process of Soul Separation had begun!

The consciousness belonged to Gabriel. Although he had become one with Karyk, to the point that he felt that Karyk was him. But when the Separation began, his feelings somewhat started to change.

It was as if most of the feelings that Karyk possessed in his life... He couldn't feel them. Most of his memories in Karyk's life were missing, other than some of the knowledge about magic and the world that Karyk had assimilated.

undefinedWhen he was one with Karyk, he felt that Alion was truly a brother. He was Karyk and felt everything that Karyk did. However, currently, he didn't have any such feelings. He only felt that Alion was just someone he worked with, having no extra attachment.

It was the same for the Goddess of Nature. He didn't feel much about Karyk's behavior with her, or her anger. It was as if this had nothing to do with them. He wasn't Karyk! He was Gabriel.

On another side, Karyk's consciousness also started taking shape. Just like Gabriel, Karyk didn't feel any particular attachment to the people that Gabriel held dear in this life.

In fact, he now found it quite stupid that he had to enter the Nether World to save the life of Novius and Cylix who held no importance.

It was as if the two personas were starting to separate again. They shared the memories of the other's life, but for them, the life they lived was their main life. They couldn't feel what the other felt.

It was a strange feeling of strangeness yet closeness.

Karyk didn't answer. He simply remained silent, as if letting the Separation take effect. Since their souls had been together for quite some time, their Separation wasn't going to affect his strength to any significant extent.

"I've prepared a new body for you," Karyk spoke after a brief pause. His eyes were slightly different from what they used to be before Separation. He felt more like the same old Karyk who didn't like talking to people.

Gabriel already knew what was happening since it was partially his decision when they were one soul. Moreover, it wasn't as if he could ask Karyk to take the second body since his element had seeped in deeply in this body.

Even if Karyk left and Gabriel possessed the main body, because of the deep element of death, that Corruption was going to occur again.

His soul couldn't stay close to the Element of Death as its purity and conflict with the Element of Light was way higher than the conflict between Element of Light and Element of Darkness.

The two consciousness looked at each other. Even though they initially came from one soul and looked completely identical, but they were two different people at core.

One was the High God that had once terrorized the world and only wanted revenge, while the other was someone who thought of himself as a human and only wanted to get stronger to protect himself and survive in the world where so many people wanted to kill him.

The crack in the soul started disappearing as one soul split into two, similar to how they merged initially.

Outside Karyk's soul realm, soul energy was creating a turmoil. It was even hard for Jia to breathe. She felt as if she was being suffocated under this pressure. She couldn't even move.

If anything, this was similar to what she felt when Gabriel had awakened the memories of Karyk. She didn't even know how she could avoid this pressure. None of her barriers worked.

Just as she felt like she couldn't do anything to protect herself from this pressure, multiple vines came out from the ground, surrounding her and the Goddess of Nature, while protecting the two of them from this pressure.

Unfortunately, the soul aura was only getting stronger, which worried the Goddess of Nature. She didn't know how much stronger this soul pressure was going to get. She was concerned that even the barriers cast around this place might be broken if the soul aura didn't stop soon!

Karyk and Gabriel, both watched the Primary and the Secondary soul separating slowly.

"Will I be something like your clone?" Gabriel asked after a brief pause. "Or like an Undead of yours?"

Karyk shook his head. "You won't be an undead. You'll be a real human. Even though you'll look like me, you aren't my clone, and I can't control you. You're free... If you want, I'll open a portal to send you back to earth as well."

Just as he stated, even though he was the main soul, he didn't create the body of an Undead. Instead, he used his own blood, sacrificing some of his life essence to create a real human.

He initially tried to do the same thing to bring back his sister after getting her soul. Unfortunately, the bodies couldn't contain the strength of her blood and ended up breaking apart. The spell that he had worked long and hard to create was useless for him.

However, this was different now. A true god's skeleton that couldn't be destroyed even in the Nether Realm... It was the perfect material to bring back someone! Moreover, he had the blood of another true god, which worked out when better.

They weren't clones. The two consciousnesses were similar, yet they had their own thinking and different personalities. If anything, it was more accurate to call them twin brothers.

Karyk wasn't sure if he could survive his battle against the Upper Realm. He was already prepared for his eventual Death. That's why, he considered his meeting with his sister and everyone else as his last.

However, with Gabriel there, his sister didn't have to be alone. She could still have her brother, even though it wasn't him. Moreover, since Gabriel came from his soul, he also had the control of his domain of Earth just like him.

So, then if Karyk died, the Domain around earth wasn't going to be destroyed, which was what he was initially worried about. The safety of everyone on earth was ensured.

Another good thing was that Gabriel had the bones and the blood of true gods. With a little practice, his strength could reach the level of a true god. Moreover, even though Gabriel didn't have the Element of Death now, but he had the Element of Light and the Element of Death that had merged into creating something new and unseen.

"Won't this hurt both of us?" Gabriel asked after a brief pause. Even though Karyk made it sound safe, but it was dangerous, especially for the main soul, which was going to be weaker for at least a month after the soul separation since this processing was akin to it cutting a part of itself.

It was as if they were both losing something if they separated since they were one and the same. Even though it was good for them to have separate lives as they could do more things at the same time, but still, something seemed amiss.

Karyk also knew everything that Gabriel was telling him. He was already feeling the pain of Separation. He was sure that if the process was successful, he was at least going to be in a weakened state for a month.

The Banquet of the Southern General was going to be held soon. He didn't know if it was going to be canceled after what happened, but if that wasn't the case, then he was going to miss the banquet.

However, there were not many options. He could either let the Corruption take place.

undefinedIn that case, he would've had to fight all the Generals and the King of the Upper Realm while he still had all his strength, shifting the focus away from the Goddess of Light. However, he didn't want his destiny to be written by someone else.

Karyk didn't respond to Gabriel, simply closing his eyes. There was not a single trace of pain on his face even though he felt most of the brunt of this soul separation since his main soul was the core.

Feeling as if Karyk was ignoring him, Gabriel also didn't speak further. In any case, he could understand what Karyk was going through. Even though they had separated, they used to be one person. They were still connected, even though by a slim thread of destiny.

From the one merged soul of Karyk and Gabriel, two souls started taking shape, in a process that appeared to last for an eternity.

In the meantime, the outside world was in turmoil as the hunt for Karyk had intensified. Every single trace of him was being followed but since he had traveled through a void to somewhere, it was very hard to find him.

It was as if there were thousands of traces of him in the chaotic void that seemingly went in all the directions, making it impossible for anyone to find him.

The news about Karyk's sudden appearance and disappearance also reached the Goddess of Light in the Northern World. She knew that Karyk wasn't the type of period to appear and disappear without doing anything. It was clear that he was in the Wester Clan to achieve some goal.

However, he hadn't managed to do anything other than reveal his identity. In a case like that, Karyk would've killed everyone in the Wester Clan to contain the news. However, he instead seemingly ran away. That meant something was wrong with him.

"It looks like his soul already..." She muttered, shaking her head lightly. "That was faster than expected. But it's good. Now he'll understand the importance of time and understand his role."

Two days passed. By now, the Wester Clan Patriarch had realized that his son was missing. He was nowhere to be found. It was as if he just disappeared into thin air. In his room, only some traces of the void could be felt, which was similar to what Karyk used.

It was clear that Karyk took him. However, why? That was the question in everyone's mind. Many people thought that Karyk wanted to use the young man's life to threaten them and in essence, control them.

However, they understood that it was futile. Even though the Patriarch loved his son and daughter, it wasn't to the extent where he was going to betray the Upper Realm and stand against the Southern General for them.

In fact, he already considered his son to be dead. In any case, it was his daughter who he considered to be more talented. So the heir of the Wester Clan was safe.

Because of the search for Gabriel, the banquet of the Southern General was supposed to be delayed. However, surprisingly enough, that wasn't the case. It was said that the banquet was going to be held on the same day, while the search for Karyk continued. However, the purpose of that Banquet had changed.

Instead of being a simple celebration that it was supposed to be, now it had another purpose. It was the meeting place of all the Upper Realm Generals who were coming to this place. As for their purpose in holding the meeting here, it was obvious for everyone.

The tension in the air was palpable as everyone waited for the generals to arrive. Meanwhile, Karyk's whereabouts were still unknown, and the fate of the war rested on the shoulders of the generals.

Whispers and murmurs filled the entire Southern World as people speculated on what the outcome of the meeting would be.

Back in the depths of the Southern World, neither Gabriel nor Karyk had any ideas as to what was happening outside. They were more focused on their own troubles.

Fortunately, after two whole days, the process was almost completed. However, the space around that place appeared to be broken at places, as the massive amount of Soul Energy kept creating chaos.

Fortunately, the Goddess of Nature continued to manage her barrier.

After some time, the chaotic soul energy stopped entirely. It disappeared without a single trace, as if it was never there in the first place as soon as Karyk opened his eyes. He was finally awake.

He stood up, glancing into the distance where multiple vines appeared to be creating a protective shield.

As soon as the soul pressure disappeared, a small opening appeared in the vines, from where the Goddess of Nature and Jia were able to catch a glimpse of the young man.

Before the eyes of the two ladies, Karyk stepped closer to the white sphere of light before him.

Even though they couldn't properly see Karyk, they could feel that he appeared extremely tired, as if a human who hadn't slept for a week.

Before using the spell of recreation, Karyk's control over death was close to ninety percent. However, after using that spell, this absolute control had increased, albeit only slightly.

Even though he was weak, he felt that this process helped him under a soul much better than he initially did, bringing him one step closer to becoming the absolute master of death who could never be killed.

He stopped before the sphere of light, placing his palm over it. After that, he just simply stood there without moving an inch.

undefinedThe soul energy could once again be felt from him, but this time it wasn't chaotic like last time. Instead, it was calm and precise.

Even though the others couldn't understand what Karyk was doing, but they were quite curious.

With his hands on the sphere of light, Karyk performed the last step of recreation. He started sending his secondary soul into the body of a true god that he had created personally.

Inside the sphere of light, there was only a skeleton according to Jia. However, in reality, the skeleton was already inside a proper human-like body now. A body that was brimming with godly power, only lacking a soul.

Usually, it would've been hard for any soul to be in complete sync with the body. However, as Karyk used his own blood while creating it, he managed to surpass the restrictions.

After a few minutes, he finally took off his hands before walking back to the Goddess of Nature and Jia with unsteady steps. His eyes were colder than they used to be. However, there was also a look of relief on his face, as if he had healed the corruption of his soul.

The Goddess of Nature wanted to ask him what he did when Karyk sat down next to her, exhausted. His body was slightly weak temporarily. However, it wasn't weak to the point where he couldn't protect himself. If he wanted, he could still kill everyone here.

For a few minutes, no one spoke anything, waiting for Karyk to gather his breath.

It was only after some time passed that Jia asked, "What's inside that?"

"You'll know soon." Karyk closed his eyes, not speaking further.

Another day passed and there was no change in the sphere of light. Karyk also didn't move, seemingly falling asleep from all the exhaustion.

Even he didn't know how long the process of Gabriel's merger was going to go on. But he had done all he could. He had no role in the process anymore.

All he had to do was recover in the shortest time possible. Unfortunately, even that shortest time that he could guess was at least a month.

After such a long time, the Goddess of Nature had naturally stopped paying attention to the sphere of light that was brimming with a strange godly energy and soul aura.

On the other hand, Jia was still quite intrigued with it. She often approached the sphere of light but didn't touch it. She was eagerly waiting to see what was inside.

What had become of that skeleton? Was it made into some heaven shaking weapon? Or some treasure that could cause chaos in the Upper Realm? Nothing Karyk did was ever ordinary after all.

As Jia was lost in thought, she heard a faint sound emitting from the sphere. It sounded soothing and divine. It was as if there was a person inside who was just waking up from a long slumber.

She was quite taken aback. She took a few steps back subconsciously, wondering if the skeleton inside the sphere of light was back to life. Was all Karyk did just to bring the skeleton back to life to make it into an Undead Soldier?

While she was lost in thoughts, cracks started developing in the sphere of light, as if it was a shell that was breaking apart.

The cracks started getting bigger and bigger. It was as if it was about to disappear. Jia couldn't help but call for the Goddess of Nature, attracting her attention to the sphere of Light.

She also tried waking up Karyk, but Karyk didn't react, as if he was asleep and didn't want to be disturbed. He only revealed a frown at the unnecessary shouting but didn't open his eyes. He already knew what was inside after all. For now, his rest was more important.

The Goddess of Nature stepped closer to Jia. Even though the sphere of light was emitting a powerful aura, but she wasn't scared. She was sure that Karyk wouldn't create something that could harm them. However, she was still ready for unexpected situations, ready to protect herself and Jia if needed.

Within a few seconds, the cracks covered the entire shell of light which soon broke apart, disappearing into thin air.

After the shell of light disappeared, the two ladies were finally able to see what was inside. As for what they saw, it was enough to stun them to their core.

The Goddess of Nature looked back at Karyk in the distance, looking back and forth.

Even Jia was taken aback. There was a person before them, lying on the ground. The person appeared to be a young man, who wasn't even twenty years old yet.

He was completely identical to Karyk, but there were some differences. The hair of the young man before them was different than Karyk.

Jia recognized that right away! This was the hair color that Gabriel had before his awakening! Moreover, his aura was different from Karyk's aura, yet powerful enough to stun them both.

On the left hand of the young boy, there was a strange Elemental Mark which didn't match the Element of Light or the Element of Darkness. Instead, it was like the merger of both!

The Goddess of Life was taken aback to find Gabriel before her eyes. He didn't look Undead. Instead, he simply appeared to be a young man, who was sleeping peacefully.

Unlike Karyk, his body wasn't covered in the dark patterns of Death. Instead, he only had one mark on the back of his left hand.

The Goddess knelt beside Gabriel and examined the strange mark on his hand, trying to determine its meaning. As she studied it, she noticed that the mark began to glow softly, and a feeling of warmth spread in the surrounding that was accompanied by a strange aura.

As the mark of Light and Darkness shone, Gabriel's eyelids flickered. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling a surge of energy flowing through his body. When his gaze met the Goddess of Nature, he realized that something within him had changed.

Before, he at least felt something for the Goddess of Nature, as if they were close. However, now she only felt like an acquaintance. He had some memories about her, but nothing worth the importance. If anything, Jia felt closer than the Goddess of Nature.

undefinedThe Goddess of Nature stood up, as soon as she saw Gabriel open his eyes. She turned around, asking Karyk. "Who is he?! He doesn't feel like an undead or a clone."

"Because I'm none," Gabriel answered as he pushed his body up. He felt quite strange in this body. It was different yet it was familiar. If anything, it was brimming with strength that he never felt before. In fact that strength appeared to be beyond his understanding at the moment.

On the other hand, Karyk was still sitting with his eyes closed, gathering his soul strength that he had exhausted.

"Then what... Are you?" The Goddess of Nature asked. She was very sensitive to people's aura as she was closer to nature itself. Looking in Gabriel's eyes, she could feel that he wasn't Karyk. If anything, he was closer to how he used to be the first time she saw Gabriel in the prison!

No, he was even more different compared to that since he didn't have the aura of death around him. The only thing that he had similar to Karyk was now his face, and maybe his stubborn personality.

Gabriel glanced in the direction of Karyk, who wasn't paying attention. When he awakened his first element back on earth, he never expected that his journey was going to lead him to such a point where he would be looking at himself in such a way.

"I'm not Karyk," he calmly replied, looking at the Mark of Light and Darkness in his hand. At the same time, the mark of death was missing.

He stepped closer to Karyk, as he continued. "I'm Gabriel."

Hearing his response, the Goddess of Nature thought of something impossible. She was stunned to even consider this possibility but now that she thought about it, it made sense!

Karyk used the method that others with corrupted souls couldn't. He had two souls that led to this Corruption so the only solution was to separate them again.

She finally realized what might have happened! Karyk had separated from his secondary soul, bringing Gabriel back to life!

"Just how much control over life and death does he have now?" She muttered, slightly amazed by his strength.

She already knew a thousand years ago that Karyk was in a different league than the rest. That's why there were many people who were jealous or scared of him. However, currently, he was even more monstrous with what he was able to do.

She was somewhat glad that she hadn't sided with the Goddess of Light. Just facing Karyk alone was difficult but now there was Gabriel as well?

While the Goddess of Nature was lost in her thoughts, Gabriel walked past Jia, patting her head lightly before stopping next to Karyk.

He sat down right before him. At times, it even appeared as if there was a mirror between the two. If only their clothes weren't different, it would've been hard to differentiate between them.

"Are you ready to go back to earth?" Karyk calmly opened his eyes. His tone was without much emotional ripple. "I'll open a portal for you when I recover."

"Who said I'm going back?" Gabriel asked in return, not even thinking about returning back to earth. "I still have a banquet to attend to."

"This matter doesn't involve you. Why do you want to intervene?" Karyk inquired. He had intentionally taken away thousand years of hatred onto himself, only giving Gabriel the knowledge from his first life.

All because he wanted Gabriel to live a life on earth that he couldn't. So there was no reason for this guy to go after the Goddess of a Light or the Upper Realm.

Moreover, in any case, his success or failure wasn't going to harm him. If he succeeded, then the reign of the Upper Realm was over. And if he failed and died, then the Upper Realm was going to consider this matter ended, not knowing that there was another person like him without the element of death.

What scared the Upper Realm was the supreme element of death since in the Upper Realm, only the King possessed a supreme Element. Thus, they knew what a supreme element was capable of.

As for a hybrid element that was a merger of two high tier elements which Gabriel possessed, not many had seen it in the past since they were all killed by corruption before they could even fully utilize it. Gabriel on the other hand was different.

Now that the soul separation was successful, the Corruption was gone and he didn't have to worry about being affected again, unless he was also reborn and merged with a secondary soul which suffered from Corruption.

"If I don't, then who will?" Gabriel asked in return. "You might be the main soul, but I don't consider myself secondary either."

"Our enemies... Are the same." His fists tightened. Even though he couldn't feel the flames of rage and the emotions of anger towards the Goddess of Light and the Upper Realm, he still remembered all those emotions that he felt when he was one word Karyk!

"Also, you're weak now. Can you even attend the banquet in this condition?' Gabriel further asked, letting out a calm response.

"You're not strong enough either," Karyk responded, without reacting much. "You need time to be able to understand the strength of your own body. I'm dropping this plan. We won't attend the banquet. I'll take care of the rest after I finish recovering. As for you, you're going back. Unless..."

"Unless...?"

"Unless you can show me that you're capable enough to protect yourself in this world." Karyk wasn't a person of many emotions. His emotions were only reserved for his friends and family. However, he also didn't want his other self to die for no reason.

At the same time, he also knew how stubborn his secondary soul was since he had been one with it. Just words weren't enough to convince Gabriel, so he used another method, all to protect this stubborn guy who didn't want to listen to him.

undefined"And how should I show that?" Gabriel frowned. He couldn't help but feel that Karyk was treating him like a child which left a sour taste in his mouth.

Even though it was true that he wasn't able to utilize or even understand the full strength of this godly body that he had received, but it didn't change the fact that he was a mage! He might not have the Element of Death, but he had the Element of Light and the Element of Darkness!

Moreover, he had learned to master those two elements from Cylix and Novius, who were comparable, if not better than the Holy Lords of the two Elements! He also had the knowledge that he had gained when Karyk devoured the souls of previous Generations of Holy Lords!

His knowledge when it came to those two elements was secondary to none! At the same time, he had the Ancestral Staff of Darkness and the Ancestral Staff of Light. Although they were both clones of the real thing, that didn't change the fact that they were beneficial to him.

At the same time, he also had the Holy Grimoire of Light! As a person in a god's body, he might be completely clueless. However, as a mage of Light and Darkness, he wasn't! He could at least protect himself, or so he believed.

"Is that so?" Karyk glanced at the young man through the corner of his eyes. "I'll give you an opportunity to prove it."

He raised his gaze, noticing the Goddess of Nature in the distance before continuing. "As long as you can defeat her, I'll allow you to do as you please."

Even though the Goddess of Nature didn't fight often, her strength wasn't weak at all. If anything, she had been amongst the strongest gods on earth.

She didn't have the offense of the Element of Death. She didn't have the versatility of darkness. She also didn't have the benefits of light. However, what she had was nature, which allowed her to turn every terrain into her own strength!

Karyk knew that even if the Goddess of Light had fought her a thousand years ago, she wouldn't have been defeated. The only reason she lost and was sealed was because it was he who fought her!

Karyk knew that Gabriel had potential. When it came to physical strength now, he was probably even stronger than him. However, he also needed plenty of time to show the potential of that body. That's why he didn't want to watch him leave stubbornly.

He used a battle with the Goddess of Nature to sway him. At the same time, it was to train him! If Gabriel was weak minded, then after a few defeats, he was going to give up and agree to go back.

On the other hand, if he actually had the zeal to win, no matter how many times he lost, then these battles were something akin to his training, which could force him to learn more about his new strengths and weaknesses in an effort to win.

Karyk didn't know what the outcome of these battles was going to be. However, no matter which outcome it was, it was good. One outcome led to his safety while the other outcome led to his strength.

After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes once again, not paying attention to anything else. In any case, the invitation token that led to the secret realm of the banquet was with him. Without his approval, Gabriel couldn't leave. He needed to prove his strength!

At the same time, Karyk could focus on his soul strength recovery to his peak.

In a faraway place, there were two people standing next to each other. One was a young boy, whose body was brimming with strength that was way above the strength of the True God that Karyk had killed on earth.

Next to him, stood a man, seemingly in his late twenties. The man felt like an ordinary human, not having a trace of any godly strength. However, the laws of the universe could be seen in his eyes, revealing that he wasn't a simple man.

Before them, was a mirror that was showing them a still image. In that image, they saw the lifeless body of a True God, and next to him stood Karyk.

"Should we meet him?" The man asked, looking at the image that he had seen a month ago for the first time.

At that time, they had received the news that a god was killed by a mortal who didn't even have true divinity yet! As they were both curious about who this person could be, the young boy had used a treasure.

It was a mirror that could show them the scene of that god's death! That's where they saw Karyk for the first time! However, for some strange reason, it was as if even Karyk was able to see them!

They saw Karyk looking straight in their direction before their mirror shattered ultimately. Ever since then, they only had this one still image. However, more than anger, their faces revealed fascination.

"If he's really related to 'him' then he might have the Royal Blood. You might have another Candidate..." The man asked the young boy next to him.

Even though the boy looked young, he had lived for what appeared like an eternity already!

"Then you won't need my son for the battle of thrones... Isn't that right, Janus?" The man asked, revealing a calm yet intrigued glance.

On the other hand, the young-looking boy didn't respond. He only frowned, looking at the still image on the mirror. "Could he really be... his son?"

Absolute defeat... That was the outcome of Gabriel's first battle with the Goddess of Nature. In fact, he couldn't even last for more than a few seconds, even after using everything he had learned from Cylix and Novius.

Even though the Goddess of Nature didn't look like this, her strength was absolutely something that Gabriel couldn't resist. She was truly a powerful god.

Even though he already knew about that woman's strength thanks to the memories of Karyk where he forgot her in the past, that didn't help him since Karyk had used his element of death to fight her, and even then it took quite some time for him to end the battle.

Even though the first battle showed him the immense gap in their current strengths, it also helped Gabriel learn more about himself. He realized that his body's defense was quite high. It was as if there was an Armor around him that reduced the damages of all the attacks that were targeted towards him.

undefinedAfter his defeat, he once again challenged the Goddess of Nature after just a short break, not intending to give up.

One after another, he kept having continuous battles with the Goddess of Nature. In each battle, he felt that he was becoming stronger and learning more about himself. Even though he was fast in learning, defeating the Goddess of Nature was still hard.

After two days, he was able to last an hour in a battle against the Goddess of Nature, but in the end, it was still his defeat. However, he felt that he learned even more in the last few days.

His new body had nice self healing abilities, that made him a little surprised. It was as if a healing spell was constantly being cast on him, without him having to do anything.

Another thing worth noting was that his physical strength was much higher, as a single attack of his without any use of magic was able to break walls.

Unfortunately, that strength hadn't come handy so far, since the Goddess of Nature didn't even allow him to get close.

Along the way, even Karyk occasionally opened his eyes, observing the battles once or twice. He understood the True God whose blood he had used. However, even he didn't know the mystery behind that skeleton, whose bones were covered in strange mysterious characters.

He had always felt that those characters had some scary strength hidden inside them. As for what that was, even he didn't know.

After observing the battle for a little, he closed his eyes again, realizing that Gabriel was going to be defeated again. He focused on his recovery. He knew that his intervention would not change much. Gabriel had to learn how to use his skills properly and how to win battles.

It was his own battles and his training. Karyk didn't think it was right for him to intervene. However, he didn't completely stay out of it.

Gabriel was sitting on the ground, covered in sweat. His breathing was unhurried, but it was clear that he was extremely tired as he had just gone through a battle.

While he was trying to go through what he could improve on for his next battle, he heard Karyk's voice.

Even though Karyk didn't open his eyes, his words fell in Gabriel's ears. Even the Goddess of Nature and Jia heard him, as if he had no intention to fight.

"Stop focusing on her weakness. Focus on your strength instead." Karyk said before returning to silence. His words were vague, but it contained the essence of his experience.

Ever since he saw the battles, Karyk already understood what Gabriel was doing wrong. Gabriel was trying to fight the Goddess of Nature while thinking about taking advantage of her weakness.

Since the Goddess of Nature was weak in close combat, Gabriel had been trying to get close to her in this battle, thinking that was the way to defeat her. Unfortunately, that was the worst method to defeat her.

If he couldn't even break her spells, then getting closer to her was impossible. And if he could break her spells, then why was there a need to get close to her to defeat her?

According to Karyk, Gabriel had to increase his own strength. Instead of focusing on getting closer, he had to focus on his own strength. He had to make sure that his spells were strong enough to break through the defense of the Goddess of Nature, or rather, break through everything that stood in its path!

Cylixy and Novius were the best mages of Light and Darkness on earth in their generation. However, that was limited to their generation. They had never faced a god. Their strength was not capable of facing a god. It could also be said that their spells were very weak.

Just because they could defeat the Holy Lords of Elements didn't mean they could defeat gods themselves, since the Holy Lords were only granted a small fragment of a god's power, maybe not even one percent of their total strength.

If Gabriel relied on the old spells all his time, then it was going to get troublesome. He was depending on the wrong weapon, and Karyk was sure that even Gabriel would've been able to see that, if he wasn't so focused on somehow getting closer to the Goddess of Nature.

Gabriel glanced back after hearing Karyk's advice, only to find him lost in meditation to calm his spirit. He didn't pay any more attention to him.

"He's not wrong. That's been your flaw this whole time." Contrary to Gabriel's expectations, the Goddess of Nature also agreed. "I was wondering how long it'll take you to realize that. I thought you were very close to that realization yourself. I didn't expect Karyk to give you the answer right away."

She stepped closer to Gabriel, patting his head lightly. "As soon as you heard that you had to win against me, you jumped straight into battle, instead of considering all possibilities. As he said, focus on your strength... Only then shall you stand a chance against me."

After the Goddess of Nature finished speaking, she walked past Gabriel, leaving him lost in his thoughts.

"You should've let him come to the answer himself." She sat next to Karyk, softly asking.

"I know," Karyk replied calmly. "But I'm afraid he doesn't have time. If he can't get stronger before the banquet, I'm afraid he might still be stubborn enough to leave this place. I don't want to forcefully restrain him. So I can only help him get stronger while also focusing on my own strength."

"Are you starting to care for someone else again?" The Goddess of Nature asked.

"How is he someone else?" Karyk asked, frowning. "I'm only taking care of myself. If I die, he would need all the strength he can gather to protect himself..."

undefined"You aren't dying. I'm with you." The Goddess of Nature replied.

"The fact that you'll die with me doesn't comfort me in the least," Karyk responded, shaking his head lightly.

If there was a situation in the future where he could die, then the chances of survival of the Goddess of Nature were also close to none after all. So he didn't think too much about it.

"So you still know how to joke," the Goddess of Nature rolled her eyes. "Anyway, how long until you completely recover?"

"Soon." Karyk vaguely answered, shaking his head lightly. However, even though he said that, even he didn't know how long it was going to take exactly.

Initially, he had thought that it was going to take at least a month for him to recover completely. However, everything had been moving smoothly, so he felt as if he could heal before a month was over.

Gabriel sat alone in the middle of the hall, unaware of the conversation that was taking place between the Goddess of Nature and Karyk. He was simply looking at the mark of Life and Death on the back of his hand.

His eyes were slightly complicated.

"Focus on my strength..." He muttered the words. It was clear that the words meant that he had to improve his spells, or come up with new spells that matched his fighting style, containing more power.

He was different from a Mage of Light or a mage of darkness. He had both the elements and they had both merged into creating something new. So it was clear that the old spells of Cylix and Novius didn't match him perfectly.

He needed something more!

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Southern General was getting more and more frustrated since he couldn't find a single clue about Karyk. Moreover, the information about Karyk's appearance in the Upper World had also reached the Ruler of the Upper Realm.

Strength enough, the King of the Upper Realm didn't react much to this information, as if he already expected this. In fact, he still didn't leave the Central Realm. He left everything for his Generals to handle.

No one knew what he was thinking, or why he didn't leave the Central World of the Upper Realm. Some felt that it was because he didn't think that Karyk was strong enough for him to personally make a move. While there were also some who thought that he had another reason for not leaving the Central World.

In fact, most of the people couldn't even remember the last time he had left the Central Realm. Most of the tasks were handed over to his Generals.

In fact, most people were sure that thousands of years had already passed since the last time the Ruler of the Upper Realm came out of the Central World.

Many people thought that this problem could've been solved easily, if only their king would come out and deal with it himself, but they were left disappointed.

As for the Generals, even though many people respected them, there were many who also secretly questioned their capabilities, since a thousand years ago, they had also failed in capturing the same person.

Even though the Four Generals were the strongest beings in the Upper Realm after the King of the Upper Realm, in reality, their skills weren't even close to the King.

But the Four Generals were determined to prove their worth and regain the trust of their people by capturing Karyk once and for all. They used all their might, sealing all four worlds, making it impossible for a person to go from one world to another.

Only the Four Generals and people approved by them could travel freely through the sealed space. Even Karyk couldn't do that.

After sealing the entire place, they placed even more people on the search. Every city was searched from top to bottom, in search of Karyk who was said to be accompanied by two women this time.

The Four Generals created a force, led by their most skilled warriors, to track down Karyk's whereabouts. The Warriors were given the authority to use any means necessary to capture Karyk.

They could also execute anyone who they found suspicious. In fact, they were even allowed to destroy an entire town if needed. This showed how serious the Four Generals were.

While a search for them was intensifying, Karyk was sitting on the ground, still in meditation.

Even the Goddess of Nature was relaxing a little. For the last two days, Gabriel hadn't asked her for a battle even once. It was as if Karyk's advice had worked for him. He wasn't as impatient as before.

Instead, Gabriel was sitting alone in the distance. The laws of various elements could occasionally be felt coming from his direction, as if he was working on spells of his own, that could utilize his merged elements himself.

Creating a new spell was hard to the point that it was considered almost impossible. However, Gabriel had Karyk's knowledge, who was the person that started from scratch and created all his spells himself! That gave him some basic understanding.

Moreover, Cylix and Novius had also created some unique spells of their own, which were something that even the Holy Lords wanted. He had everything he needed.

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye. The sun had set over the horizon, casting a colorful glow over the tranquil landscape.

As the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, a soft breeze picked up, bringing the sweet scent of blooming flowers. The evening air was cool and refreshing, providing a welcome break to many people from the scorching heat of the day. Crickets chirped in the distance, their rhythmic melodies creating a sense of calm and tranquility.

Unfortunately, the depths of the Southern World were completely void of all these. It was just an empty space, mostly disconnected from the outside.

Moreover, everyone was focusing on their work. Only the Goddess of Nature and Jia could occasionally be heard talking to each other.

During the last four days, the Goddess of Nature had already informed her everything about what happened with Karyk and why there were two people who looked alike.

undefinedInitially, Jia was stunned. However, she was also somewhat amazed that there existed a method like that.

She couldn't help but wonder what other impossible feats the gods and goddesses were able to commit. As the days passed, Jia also told the Goddess of Nature about the workings of the upper realm and the delicate balance required to maintain order in the issue outside world.

Amongst the four of them, only she had lived in the upper world in recent years.

On the fifth day, Gabriel finally opened his eyes. His eyes looked serene, as if he was much calmer than he had to be in the past. The mark of his element of light and darkness looked even more refined, as if it had improved and could further improve even more.

Throughout the last four days, Gabriel immersed himself in understanding the core of light and darkness, thanks to all the knowledge that he had gathered.

Through that, he realized that even though light and darkness weren't a supreme element on their own, the mysteries they possessed were incredible, especially when combined. They contained both holy power and unholy strength.

Gabriel was fascinated by the balance of power that light and darkness possessed. He wanted to explore their capabilities and harness their power to increase his strength. Moreover, he also tried to maintain the balance of this power in the spells that he created.

Initially, the few spells that he created were imperfect and unbalanced. It wasn't wrong to call them unstable. Not only were they used to cast, but they also consumed more of his strength than he wanted.

During the last few days he had been working constantly, resting to refine those spells. He knew that even though spells that he created were powerful, but he could not win a battle against the Goddess of nature if he just relied on the unstable and imperfect spells.

Fortunately, his hard work paid off. Within just five days from start, he had managed to take care of most of the problems that were in his new spells, starting from their efficiency.

He had also found a way to incorporate the power of his bloodline itself into his spells, which gave him an advantage in his upcoming battle. With his newfound confidence, he took a deep breath and found the strength to face his opponent.

He finally stood up. After five days, he was ready to face the Goddess of Nature.

He glanced at the Goddess of Nature in the distance, who was looking back at him.

"I'm ready. However, I don't think this place is suitable enough for our battle. Shall we go to some place where we can freely use our spells?" Gabriel asked. Even though the space here was vast, but it didn't change the fact that this was still a closed space.

He didn't want to accidentally bring the whole place down and disturb Karyk's recovery.

As for going outside, that wasn't dangerous for them. Since his element of light had become a completely new element now, he couldn't be traced by the Goddess of Light. As for the people of the Upper World, they were only tracing after the one with the Element of Death, so he was free from that too.

He could easily leave without being detected. All he needed to do was find a barren place where they could fight freely.

The Goddess of Nature glanced in the direction of Karyk before nodding at Gabriel. "Looks like you're very confident this time. Fine."

She waved her hand, opening a void. "I already know a place like that."

"Take care of Karyk." She told Jia before entering the void. Someone needed to be here to take care of the guy who was lost in his soul meditation.

Behind the Goddess of Nature, Gabriel also entered the void, ready for the coming battle. In the end, only Jia was left behind, slightly frustrated that she couldn't watch the battle.

The sky darkened and the winds howled as the clash between the Goddess of Nature and Gabriel approached. They stood in the center of a large field, each preparing to do battle.

This place was far away from any human settlements. Moreover, the Goddess of Nature also cast another layer of protection on the surroundings to make sure that the sound and the aura of the battle couldn't leave this place.

This was the perfect place for the battle.

On one side was the Goddess of Nature, her long hair billowing in the wind as she stared down her opponent. She had a look of determination on her face that showed she didn't take Gabriel lightly, even though she was confident in her skills.

She raised her arms and called forth the power of nature to surround her, a brilliant green aura emanating from her body.

On the other side was Gabriel, his dark wings spread wide as he prepared for battle. He had the power of light and darkness at his disposal, and he was not afraid to use it. His eyes glowed with a strange determination, as if he knew he was going to win no matter what.

The two of them began to observe each other, looking for an opening in the other's defenses. The Goddess of Nature attacked first, sending a flurry of wind at Gabriel. Thousands of vines came out of the ground, attacking simultaneously. He quickly summoned a shield of darkness to protect himself, but the force of the attack still knocked him back a few feet.

Unlike before, he didn't hastily try to get close to the Goddess of Nature. However, he hadn't forgotten how powerful she was.

He balanced himself, avoiding any harm thanks to his shield. Instead, he retaliated by shooting a powerful beam of light at the Goddess of Nature. It was as if he had created the Holy Sword of Light that shot straight out, looking to annihilate everything that was wrong with this world.

The Goddess of Nature was slightly intrigued, but she still quickly put up a barrier of her own. At the same time, golden vines came out of the ground, as if intending to become her shield.

The Golden Vines appeared stronger than the ones she had used to attack Gabriel. Moreover, they were also harder than metal, and almost impossible to break.

undefinedUnfortunately, the Holy Sword of Light wasn't to be taken lightly either, especially since Gabriel didn't just stop with one! He created more of such Swords that flew out.

Amidst the Holy Swords made purely of Light, he also created some Swords of Darkness, which had different properties.

The barrier of the Goddess of Nature barely managed to hold on for the most part, but knew that under the constant barrage of attacks, it was only a matter of time before her barrier broke.

That was also exactly what happened. The beam of light bounced off the barrier and hit the ground, causing a huge explosion that sent dirt and debris flying everywhere.

The Goddess of Nature was not done yet, though. As if already expecting it, she had already switched places and appeared in a different place. There was no one behind the barrier that she had created.

"Not bad. You've certainly become calmer," she complimented before sending a wave of earth and vegetation to surround Gabriel, entrapping him. He was able to break free, but the Goddess of Nature was already launching another attack.

She summoned a huge tree to come crashing down on Gabriel, but he managed to dodge out of the way just in time. He retaliated by summoning Shadow Generals to attack the Goddess of Nature.

The battle only kept intensifying with each passing second, as both the people involved in it went all out.

Smoke and dust could be seen everywhere on the battlefield, decreasing the visible range. However, for the two of them, it didn't matter.

Gabriel was determined to defeat the Goddess of Nature, while the Goddess of Nature didn't want to lose either.

Amidst all the dust filling the surrounding, she sent a powerful shockwave of energy at Gabriel, knocking him back several feet once again. However, she once again failed in hurting him as a beautiful armor appeared around him.

Strangely enough, the Armor was made by merging two contrasting elements of Light and Darkness.

Noticing the effectiveness of Gabriel's armor, the Goddess of Nature waved her hand. Multiple trees in the distance were uprooted, rising in the air. All of them flew straight to Gabriel, as if they were mountains, coming to crush him.

As if anticipating her move, Gabriel countered with a strategic slash of his sword that he made by merging light and darkness. It was stronger and sharper than any said he had created before.

He swung his Sword, as if he wasn't a mage but a knight instead!

His sword came swinging at the tens of trees that came for him, splitting the trees in half. The energy emitted from the sword was so powerful that it transformed the surrounding landscape into a surreal scenery.

He quickly recovered and retaliated with a blast of darkness that enveloped the whole area. The Goddess of Nature managed to dodge the attack, but the darkness still caused some damage to the nearby trees and vegetation.

Instead of targeting her directly, Gabriel tried to take away her advantage by changing the entire landscape into something that she couldn't take advantage of. Unfortunately, that wasn't an easy task.

He had only been training for five days so the spells that he created weren't many. As for the stronger spells that he created in the meantime, he didn't use them yet. He wanted to test his limits, to see how far he could go without using his more powerful spells.

The battle raged on, both mages trading blows and using their respective powers to try and gain the upper hand. The darkness and light clashed against the purity of Nature in a brilliant display, neither side willing to back down.

Eventually, the Goddess of Nature managed to gain the upper hand, and Gabriel was forced to retreat a few steps. However, the battle was far from over.

Gabriel was just getting started, and he knew that he had to take things up a notch if he wanted to turn the tide in his favor. He closed his eyes, focused his energy, and began to chant a spell that he had never attempted before.

As he changed the spell, he kept moving without even looking at his surroundings. He knew that the Goddess of Nature wasn't going to allow him to finish this spell. However, he was ready for that and kept changing his position.

Hundreds of shadows appeared in the surroundings and he also became a shadow, disappearing amidst all the other shadows. It wasn't easy to locate him.

Moreover, the chanting of his spells appeared to come from all of his shadows, being identical.

The air around the shadows crackled with power as he unleashed the spell, causing the ground to shake and the trees to sway. The Goddess of Nature looked on in surprise as the spell began to affect the very fabric of reality itself.

"How long will they take? It's already been over seven hours since they left. Could something have happened to them?"

Sitting in the underground hall, Jia was still waiting for the two to return. However, as more and more time passed, she started getting worried about them.

On the other hand, Karyk didn't seem to care about it in the least. Jia wondered if she should wake Karyk up and tell him how long it had been since the Goddess of Nature and Gabriel went missing, but she couldn't gather her courage to disturb him.

As if being able to read her mind, Karyk opened his serene eyes.

"Don't worry. They should be back soon."

undefinedAfter only speaking one sentence, he closed his eyes once again, focusing on his recovery. Even he didn't expect how fast it was. Only less than a week had passed and he felt that he had almost healed!

At this rate, he could completely heal himself before the banquet. At this speed, he believed that only one more day was needed before he could recover completely. Not only recover, but he could also go farther since his understanding of death and souls had improved.

After half an hour passed, a void opened in the middle of the hall. From the void, the Goddess of Nature came out. She looked perfectly fine. However, there was a small cut on the corner of her sleeves, as if made from some dark energy.

Behind her, Gabriel also came out. He also didn't look much worse. He didn't have any wounds, at least not something that could be concerning. He more or less looked the same as he did before he left. However, something felt different about him.

"I suppose you finally won?" Karyk opened his eyes once more. Even though the two didn't say anything, he could understand what happened through their expressions.

The Goddess of Nature still appeared slightly surprised, as if she was unwilling. Even though her defeat at the hands of Gabriel wasn't as brutal as it has been in Karyk's hand, she still felt frustrated.

It was the second time she had lost, and the first time it happened at the hands of someone who was so much younger than her. However, even through this discomfort, she felt slightly pleased. They had another strong person in their group now. The chances of their success had increased.

"I will go to the banquet," Gabriel said, reaching out his hand, as if asking for the invitation token.

Karyk didn't react much and tossed the invitation token. "It doesn't matter. We'll be getting more such invitation tokens soon. All of us will be going there together."

Initially, he had to change his plan to attend the banquet because of the sudden change in his condition due to corruption. However, now that he felt that he could heal himself soon, he once again returned to the old plan.

This was their perfect opportunity to get to the Southern General, after all! And if they were lucky, the other Generals could be there as well!

The next morning, Karyk finally stood up, stretching his arms. It had been a long time, but he finally felt that he was back to his usual self. His soul and his strength was back to its peak. Moreover, his Elemental Control had also improved more.

As soon as he recovered, he opened a void before him, and told Gabriel and the Goddess of Nature to follow him.

All four of them left the temporary hideout and entered the outskirts of the Southern World once again.

However, since these people already knew that he was in the Southern World, Karyk didn't bother being cautious to the previous extension.

Karyk appeared before the Wester Clan once more, which was connected to the Southern General. He didn't like leaving things incomplete. Since these people tried to kill him the last time he was here to talk nicely, he could only return the favor.

Over a hundred Undead Beings appeared all around the clan. This time, Karyk took the lead, destroying everything in its path. Not even the strongest Warriors in the Wester Clan could resist. What was even worse was that Karyk wasn't alone.

Vines that could drink blood... Plants that could eat humans... They saw many times come out of nowhere, overwhelming them in an instant.

The Patriarch of the Wester Clan was horrified at the gruesome sight before him. He hadn't expected the Death Star to be this scary. He didn't even think that he could resist against this man, even if he was stronger! In fact, the thought of standing against the man didn't even cross his mind.

Instead, he rushed inside his mansion, to contact the Southern General. His heart was racing as his whole body was drenched in sweat because of fear. He knew that the Southern General was the only one who could aid them in this dire situation.

He pushed the door of the secret chamber open, hastily rushing inside. However, as soon as he stepped inside, he was horrified. Karyk was inside there! But how was it possible? He had just seen Karyk outside? Moreover, why did Karyk change his clothes so suddenly? Something didn't make sense.

As the man noticed the hands of the person before him, he was even more shocked. The young man didn't have the Elemental Mark of Death. Instead, he had a strange mark which appeared to be a merger of the Elemental Mark of Light and the Elemental Mark of Death.

The person before him wasn't Karyk! It was evident. But why did he look similar? Was he a clone? The Patriarch of the Wester Clan was flooded with questions in his mind.

"Looking for something?" Gabriel held a small item in his hand that was used to contact the Southern General.

Before the Wester Clan Master's eyes, Gabriel destroyed the item, making it impossible for anyone here to contact the Southern General! Everyone was trapped here and no one could escape, just like they had trapped Karyk and the rest previously.

The wall of the mansion broke apart and a figure came flying out, falling on the ground. Blood was coming out of his lips and he felt that some of his bones were also broken.

However, the man didn't move. Instead, it was as if he was frozen in fear as he felt an even scarier aura around him.

The Patriarch of the Wester Clan turned around, finding Karyk standing right behind him. He had already taken care of everyone else in the clan. Only the Patriarch of the Wester Clan was left.

On the other side, Gabriel also jumped out from the broken wall.

The patriarch of the Wester Clan felt an impending doom.

undefinedThat day, two great clans disappeared from the Southern World, causing a great turmoil. Almost everyone knew who was behind this. They also understood that Karyk had some enmity with the Wester Clan. However, soon after the Wester Clan, another clan was destroyed which made people even more confused.

More than confused, they were scared as they remembered what happened a thousand years ago. It appeared to be a repeat of that. However, nothing else happened after the two clans were destroyed, as if that was all.

Karyk didn't make any moves anymore. Instead, he disappeared like a ghost, making it impossible to find him.

It was as if he was a demon who just appeared in this world to create chaos and then disappear in the midst of darkness after achieving his goal. No one knew where he was.

While the entire Southern World was wondering about his whereabouts, most of the Major Clans had strengthened their security. They didn't know if they could be the next to be attacked. However, they couldn't leave anything to change.

On the other hand, the Southern General had even more headaches. It was as if it was the repeat of the past. He couldn't help but curse Karyk.

"Even last time, that guy created chaos in my domain and now as well! Why doesn't that brat go and mess with other Generals! What is wrong with his head!"

The Southern General slammed his fist on the table before him. The table broke apart and shattered into pieces.

His subordinates watched in silence, unsure of how to calm down their furious commander. But the Southern General knew he had to take action fast or else it would be too late. Unfortunately, finding Karyk was like finding a needle in this vast world.

He had thoughts about canceling the banquet and focusing on the situation more. However, in the end, he decided to go forward with it. It was also the meeting between the four generals after all!

Even though he hated to admit it, he needed the help of others to draw this rat out.

While the world was guessing who Karyk was going to target next, Karyk was calmly sitting in the secret hall in the depths of the Southern World.

In his hand, there was an invitation token to the Southern General's banquet which was going to be held in a secret realm. Only with these invitation tokens could one enter that place.

That is why he had destroyed two clans and gathered the tokens that they had received.

Now all four of them had the invitations to attend the prestigious banquet where the Four Generals were going to be gathered together.

"Do you think the Goddess of Light will attend the banquet as well?" Gabriel asked Karyk.

Even though the banquet was being kept in the Southern World, but be careful all the Generals were attending, the scope of the banquet was increased and many prominent leaders from all four worlds were invited. At least that's what Gabriel had heard when he left this place.

He was sure that the Goddess of Light should've carved an important identity in the last thousand years. So she should've received the invitation as well. If she was going to be there, then it was even better!

Karyk looked up, shaking his head lightly. "I doubt she'd show herself now that she knows I'm here. But it's only a matter of time before she runs out of patience."

"She had placed a lot of cards to control me, but in the end, she still failed," he further continued. "As soon as she realizes that the corruption failed, she'll start getting desperate. That day isn't far."

He glanced at his hand. The strange black patterns of death were spreading out in his hand as well. He was extremely close to complete control of the Supreme Element of Death. However, to cover the last stretch was harder than said, since it needed a lot of external help.

He couldn't achieve complete control naturally since it was harder than climbing the tallest mountain in the world without any magic or any equipment.

However, he also knew just what exactly he needed to achieve his goal. He needed to enter the Temple of Elements, which was in the Central World.

He was sure that this was also why the Goddess of Light had betrayed him! The Temple of Elements was said to be connected to the true core of the World, which was helpful in increasing a person's control over their elements.

Unfortunately, entering that place was even harder since the Central World was under the control of the master of Upper Realm. Going there was directly going against him.

Without his permission, no one could enter that place. It was clear that even after betraying him, the Goddess of Light had failed to get his permission to enter that place. That's why she was trying her best to remove her from the Central World with Karyk's help.

Unfortunately, Karyk also knew how hard it was. He still wasn't strong enough to face the King of the Upper Realm. Fortunately, that man never left the Central World or it would've been extremely easy for that guy to find him.

It was also why he gave management of the other upper realm words to his generals.

The Central World was the core of the Upper World. It was not only said to be the most important place in the upper realm, but also the most precious. However, only one person lived there, as if monopolizing the entire place.

That was the place where Karyk really wanted to enter, however he wasn't confident enough. Rushing inside the Central Reason was impossible, since there was said to be only one way to enter the Central World which only the four generals knew about.

That was also why he had been targeting the four generals ever since he came here. And finally, he had an opportunity to meet them face to face.

As the banquet drew near, the preparations intensified. The Special realm where the banquet was going to take place was being prepared for the upcoming event. Not only was the security of that place being arranged, but responses for all the invitations were also sent.

The Southern General was personally overseeing the preparations to ensure that everything was perfect for the occasion. At the same time, he also remained alert about Karyk's presence in the Upper Realm. However, for the time being, that was secondary.

undefinedA few days passed and the time for the banquet finally arrived!

The secret realm was prepared! Guards were arranged. There was not a single flaw in arrangements. Moreover, multiple traps were also arranged to make sure that information of any attacks would reach the four generals directly.

There was only one portal which led to the Secret Realm. However, to enter, one had to not only verify their identity with the Captain of the Guards but also possess the invitation token.

It was hard for the Captain of the Guards to keep an eye on everything alone since there were thousands of guests who had arrived. The entrance to the secret realm was also starting to get crowded, which prompted him to use his other guards to verify the identity of people.

He didn't realize that in the distance, this was exactly what four people were waiting for.

The Guard of the Captain had a great memory and a good perception. Moreover, if he was the only person who verified identities, it was hard for anyone to fool him and enter.

Now that there was controlled chaos because of the crowd, this gave them the perfect opportunity.

At the moment, Karyk was wearing a disguise like before. He even hid all his aura, as if not intending to show it in the slightest.

Next to him, Gabriel had also disguised. The Goddess of Nature and Jia were staying inside Karyk's shadow space, so that left only the two to enter.

Unlike Karyk who didn't reveal any aura, Gabriel had shrouded himself in a powerful aura of light.

The two men stepped closer to the guards, instead of going straight for the Captain of the Guards.

The guard raised his head, looking up and down. He asked to see their invitations.

Gabriel and Karyk showed the invitation tokens which luckily enough didn't have the name of the person that these were granted to.

After verifying the invitation, the guard opened a list of names. It contained the names of people who had affirmed that they were going to attend the banquet.

"I'm Wezitik, the second son of the Talon Clan. This is my guard, Agia," Karyk responded.

He didn't randomly close these names either. In fact, people with these names had actually entered the secret realm. The only difference was that they verified with the Captain of the Guards.

Unfortunately, the current guard wasn't there when those people verified and entered, so he didn't know. Moreover, these two names completely matched the list that was on his hands.

He stepped aside, nodding. At the same time, he ticked the two names in the list of names, not realizing that those two names were already ticked in another list.

Karyk and Gabriel walked past the guards, stepping closer to her heavily protected portal in the distance.

"Nervous?" Karyk asked Gabriel. Even he was slightly intrigued about how their meeting with the Four Generals was going to go. When it came to pure strength, the two of them weren't as strong as the Four Generals. That's why it wasn't easy. However, still, Karyk had something that he had prepared.

Karyk placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulder before walking inside the portal together, to make sure the two of them came out at the same place.

Gabriel stepped through the portal, only to be surprised when he came out of the other side.

The world before him was nothing like Earth or the Southern World. It was a realm of pure beauty and wonder, where the sky was a kaleidoscope of colors and the ground was covered with soft petals.

He felt a gentle breeze caress his skin and heard a melody of birdsong and laughter. At the same time, he smelled the fragrance of exotic flowers and fruits and tasted the sweetness of the air.

This realm was beautiful to say the least. It was long a small world in itself, containing many precious natural treasures.

He walked forward, mesmerized by the sights and sounds, seeing creatures of all shapes and sizes, some familiar and some fantastical.

She saw beasts that he had never seen before, running around freely or flying high in the sky. The strange beasts weren't strong, but they appeared to add to the beauty of this place.

They all seemed to live in harmony. There were also trees that bore jewels and crystals, rivers that flowed with intoxicating water as if it contained alcohol, mountains that sparkled with snow and fire. There were also castles and temples, gardens and fountains, statues and paintings.

While Gabriel was lost in his surroundings, he felt a touch on his shoulder and turned around. He saw a man with beautiful long hair and eyes deep like an abyss.

"It's not the time to appreciate the beauty of this place."

Even though over a thousand people were invited to the Secret Realm for the banquet, that didn't mean the banquet was to start after everyone entered.

Each of the clan was given only two invitations, despite their prominence or influence. Only the Masters of their Clan, and their potential heirs were invited. That's why, many middle aged people could be seen accompanying their young son or a young daughter.

This banquet had become a gathering place of many important people where youngsters could meet each other, and build connections. At least that's what came across to others. However, that wasn't all.

Everyone knew that the Southern General's banquet wasn't so simple. In this place, the only benefits weren't connections. However, there were also many opportunities for the youngsters to get stronger.

The Four Generals were still not in the Secret Realm. However, the Captain of the Guards was here to manage things. The portal for entrance was closed and there was no need to keep it secure since no one else could enter after time was over.

undefinedDespite that, some guards were still left outside to keep an eye on the surroundings.

"Greetings, to all the guests!" The Captain of the Guards stood mid-air in the distance, so that he was visible to everyone. Moreover, his voice was also loud enough for everyone to be able to hear him.

"We are highly grateful that you decided to attend the Birthday Celebration of our General. However, I would like to apologize in advance since Master won't be able to attend the banquet!" The Captain of the Guards stated.

As soon as Karyk heard his response, his frown deepened. They weren't here? Didn't that mean coming here was a waste?

There was a trace of uncertainty in his eyes. However, before he could think further, the Captain of the Guards continued.

"Master is currently waiting in his Palace for the other Three Generals. After that, he might be busy in the meeting of the Four Generals!"

The Captain of the guards could see uncertainty on the faces of the guests. It was clear that they were all thinking why they were here so early then.

"However, after the meeting is over, the Four Generals will come here and it'll mark the start of the real banquet."

"There is also one more thing that I should mention." The smile on the Guard Captain's lips widened. "The reason you were all brought here so early is because of an opportunity that only a few of you can grasp!'

"Opportunity?" Many Clan Master's exclaimed. Some of them had already expected something like this. That's why they were all told to bring their heirs. It was easy to guess for them.

"An opportunity to become a personal disciple of one of the Four Generals!" The Guard captain made sure that his voice reached far and wide.

"Your performance will be directly seen by the Four Generals and each of them will select one disciple to further train personally!"

"What?"

"Personally trained by a General?"

Many people were stunned. The Four Generals were the strongest beings after the King of the Upper Realm. Becoming a personal disciple of people like them was like reaching the sky in one step!

Even some in the older generation were feeling jealous of the youngsters for this opportunity.

Initially, they thought that it was only going to be some competition between youths where the winners were going to be given some heavenly fruits that could strengthen them! However, what was such a fruit before the personal teaching of a General?!

Once someone becomes a General's personal disciple, such resources were the last thing they had to be concerned about, after all.

"Those guys..." Hearing the announcement, Karyk couldn't help but raise his head, glancing at the sky. "So this place was a playground for their entertainment. They'll only show up at the end after watching entertainment.'

"Are you going to join the competition?" Gabriel inquired, keeping his voice low. Unlike him, Karyk didn't have any element other than death. So as long as he used his spells or aura, his identity was going to be revealed.

Even though he could also win without using any aura against the other youngsters, but that was going to be even more suspicious, bringing more attention to them.

"I can't. Neither can you," Karyk responded. They had already assumed identities. Thanks to Gabriel's disguise of a middle aged man, he appeared like a proper guard. However, that also meant he couldn't participate, unless he canceled his disguise.

"It would've been so much easier if we could. If we could become a personal disciple of a General, we could've had personal access to him at all times. That would've made it easier to deal with one."

Gabriel could only shake his head in disappointment. They hadn't expected this to happen, or they would've prepared accordingly.

Karyk also didn't speak anything. He just remained silent, gazing at the colorful sky.

A sudden competition to select a personal disciple appeared out of place for some reason. All the Generals were supposed to be so busy because of his appearance, so why did they think that they had time to take a disciple? Something seemed amiss, but he just couldn't put his fingers at it.

He didn't know why, but he felt as if it had something to do with the King of the Upper Realm. It was just a feeling that he had no evidence to back. Even he wasn't sure if he was thinking too much. However, this certainly didn't appear ordinary.

"This is a mandatory test. So all the youngsters, please step forward!" The Guard Captain further stated, as if not even giving the youngsters a chance to stay out of it.

In any case, there weren't any youngsters who wanted to miss this opportunity.

Moreover, it was hard to avoid the attention of people around him in such an open space, where the Guard Captain could see almost everyone in his view.

Karyk couldn't avoid this unnecessary attention either. Even though he was supposed to look like a person who couldn't even use an ounce of magic, still, everyone was called forward.

In the end, he followed suit and stepped forward, getting slightly frustrated. It was good to get access to a General directly by winning the challenges. However, he couldn't do that without revealing his identity.

He knew that if that happened, then the guys who were looking in the secret realm as a form of entertainment were going to become alert. It was also possible that they were directly going to destroy this place.

Even though he could easily escape this place even if that happened, reaching the four Generals was going to become even harder then.

He didn't know what the contents of the challenges were. However, if they required him to use magic, then it was his early defeat.

undefinedAmongst the hundreds of youngsters that stepped forward, Karyk stopped in the back. Not many people paid attention to him. However, the ones who did notice him couldn't help but snicker.

Many people were looking at him with amusement, wondering where this person got the courage from, when he couldn't even use magic.

On the other hand, the Guard of the Captains also started paying some attention to him, as if he was really intrigued.

He knew what the contents of the trial was. It didn't really require the use of magic at all. It was to the point where even he was confused why the Four Generals would make a test which even a mortal had the potential to pass. However, he didn't have any right to question them.

Was a mortal really worthy of being their Disciple even if he passed the test? Unfortunately, he could only think such things and not say anything about it.

He clapped his hands once. It was as if an illusion started taking place, as soon as he clapped.

The surroundings initially appeared to be normal, until the sky suddenly changed. A bright light pierced through the clouds, creating a contrast with the colorful sky.

All the guests looked up, wondering what was happening. Some thought it was a sign from the arrival of the Four Generals, others thought it was a natural phenomenon, and others thought it had something to do with the test.

But as they watched, they saw something more amazing. A stairway of pure white light emerged from the opening in the clouds, spiraling down to the earth.

It was like a bridge between heaven and earth, a connection between the divine and the human. The stairway was so bright that it hurt to look at it directly, but it also had a soothing effect on the eyes. It seemed to radiate warmth and love, inviting anyone who wished to climb it.

The stairway was not solid, but made of light particles that shimmered and sparkled. It looked like a stream of stars flowing down from the sky.

The steps were smooth and even, creating a comfortable path for the feet. The stairway was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, but not too wide. The stairway was surrounded by a halo of rainbow colors, reflecting colorful rays in a dazzling display.

The colors changed with every angle and movement, creating a dynamic and mesmerizing spectacle.

The air around the stairway was filled with a gentle melody, as if angels were singing from above. The music was harmonious and uplifting, calming the nerves and soothing the soul. It sounded like a choir of heavenly voices, singing praises and blessings. The music also had a hypnotic effect, drawing people closer to the stairway.

The stairway seemed to offer a glimpse of paradise, a promise of peace and joy beyond this world. It was a beautiful sight that filled people with awe and wonder.

Some felt drawn to climb the stairway, hoping to reach heaven and reach the top. Others felt afraid to approach it, fearing that they were not worthy or that they would die. And others felt curious to know more about it, wondering what secrets and mysteries it held.

The stairway to heaven was a beautiful phenomenon that materialized in reality, changing the lives of many people who witnessed it. However, Karyk realized what it really was.

It wasn't actually a reality. There was no stairway to heaven in real life. Instead, it was just a treasure being used, that created this illusion which turned into reality in itself.

He didn't know what the purpose of this was, since he hadn't really seen that treasure even in the past. However, he was sure that it wasn't dangerous to the extent that it could kill someone.

"All of you can see the stairs before you? That's your test. If someone can reach the top of the Heavenly Stairs, then you'll naturally pass the test. However, let me remind you. You aren't allowed to use magic, since the stairs repel magic!"

Even though the stairs were looking fascinating, as people heard about the test, they were slightly relieved. If going to the top was the real test, then they could just fly to the top. Or so they thought, until they heard that flying or any form of magic wasn't allowed.

The Guard Captain also reminded them that the test had already begun. He didn't explain anything else, or even what the test was about.

As soon as the youngsters realized that the test had already begun, they rushed ahead without a second thought, as if they didn't want to be left behind.

Becoming a disciple of a Heavenly General was a temptation that many people could not resist. They felt a strong urge to climb the stairs and win.

They believed that the stairway was a test of speed, will and endurance, and that only the worthy would make it to the top. They ignored the warnings of their Elders who advised them to be careful on the stairs.

The youngsters gathered at the base of the stairway, rushing straight to climb, looking up at the spiral of light that seemed to go on forever, wondering what awaited them at the end. They felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, but also a sense of determination and confidence.

Initially, it felt very easy as if this wasn't even a challenge to them. The first steps were easy and light, as if they were walking on air.

They felt a surge of energy and joy, as if they were being lifted by the angels. They smiled and increased their speed even more.

But as they climbed higher, they started noticing a change. The steps became harder and heavier. They felt a pressure on their legs and feet, as if they were carrying a heavy weight on their back. Many started to sweat and pant, feeling a strain on their muscles and lungs. They slowed down and paused, feeling fatigue and pain.

If they could use magic, they could try strengthening their bodies. However, even that wasn't allowed.

Despite that, many youngsters tried to act sneaky, using strengthening magic in secret, making sure the Guard Captain couldn't notice them in the crowd. However, as soon as they used magic, they felt a strong repulsive force that hit their chest like a heavy mountain, tossing them away.

undefinedThey even felt as if their ribs were broken when they were pushed back by such a heavy force, coughing out blood as they fell back on the ground, far away from the stairs.

The people who had accompanied those youngsters rushed ahead, treating their wounds right away.

While a few people had ignored the rules and were forcefully sent out, the others learned a lesson after seeing what happened to them.

Even though they were tired, they didn't cheat. Instead, at best they stopped climbing temporarily, sitting and resting on the steps.

Some had turned back, descending with difficulty. Some had fallen off the stairway, crashing to the ground with a thud. And some had disappeared, as if they had been swallowed by the light.

This test was supposed to be an easy test. However, it was slowly becoming the most dangerous test they had ever gone through. Many didn't even know if they could stay alive while climbing, which scared them into giving up.

Quite a lot of people were also wondering what was happening. Why was the stairway becoming harder to climb? Was it a sign that they were not worthy? Was it a challenge that they had to overcome? Was it a trap that they had fallen into? They felt confusion and doubt, but also stubbornness and pride. If this was a test, they had to pass it.

They decided to continue climbing, despite the difficulties. They thought that they could make it to the top, if they tried hard enough. They thought that they could prove themselves to Generals, or to themselves. They thought that they could achieve their goal, or their dream.

While the youngsters from many of the important families were in a race against each other, none had time to pay attention to a young man who was in last place.

He hadn't rushed like everyone else, instead staying at the first step, observing the others. He tried to understand the steps first, to pass this trial without revealing any flaw.

Fortunately, it didn't take him long to realize what this test was for. This wasn't a test of physical strength, or magic power. Even the best of mages would've failed to reach the top. Instead, it was a test of willpower from what he could understand.

The notion that each step was getting heavier was only in their own mind, because of the stairs. In reality, the steps weren't getting heavier. Instead, their willpower was getting weaker the more they climbed, making them feel tired and heavier.

While Karyk was observing the stairs, many pushed themselves to climb higher, ignoring their bodies' signals, not willing to fall behind the rest.

They ignored the pain and exhaustion, focusing on the light above. They ignored the cries and pleas of others, isolating themselves from their fellow climbers. They ignored the danger and risk, exposing themselves to harm.

But as they climbed higher, they realized their mistake. The steps became impossible to climb, as if they were made of lead. They felt an immense force on their legs and feet, as if they were being crushed by a mountain. They could not move or breathe, feeling paralysis and suffocation.

They looked up and saw that they were nowhere near the top. The spiral of light seemed to stretch infinitely into the sky, mocking their efforts. It made many feel as if they had wasted their time and energy, chasing an illusion. They realized that they had lost their way and their senses.

They regretted their decision to climb the stairway to heaven, feeling that it was actually impossible. None had even reached the hundredth step, but more than half of them had already lost their willpower to climb higher.

As more and more time passed, people kept giving up. With trembling legs, they went back to the foot of the stairs. Even though the opportunity to become a General's disciple was precious to them, it wasn't as precious as their lives.

They were all heirs of prestigious households after all. Even if they didn't become a General's disciple, their lives were to be spent in luxury without any worries. They didn't feel the need to put their lives on the line.

On the contrary, there were also many who wanted to bring their households to even greater heights by succeeding and becoming stronger than a General in the future. Even as their lips bled and their legs trembled, they didn't give up climbing.

Albeit slowly, but they kept climbing as if their willpower was as strong as the heaven itself.

Unlike the rest, Karyk finally started climbing. In a test of willpower, he could definitely win without revealing a single trace of magic. It was as if the test was a gift for him.

Unlike the rest, his steps were much calmer. He didn't hurry. Instead, taking his time on each step. However, before long, he did start attracting the attention of the others, since a mortal was still on the stairs.

Even though many people were in a much higher position than Karyk, their speed had finally started to slow down to a large extent as the youngsters in the speed started resting regularly, feeling as if they couldn't continue without having enough rest.

On the other hand, Karyk was moving slowly, yet his speed was constant. He didn't appear to be affected by the pressure in the least, even when he didn't use any of his aura at all.

Standing in the back, Gabriel silently observed. He occasionally also kept looking at the sky. At the speed Karyk was going, it was highly likely that he was going to win. That meant they were going to meet the Generals soon.

If nothing went wrong, then things were going to proceed even more smoothly than they expected when they came here. Albeit, it was just an assumption for now. There were still many things to consider.

Just as he expected, Karyk kept climbing higher and higher, attracting even more attention. In fact, he had already entered the top hundred and he didn't stop there.

undefinedAll the youngsters who had their own pride were stunned that a mortal could keep up with them or even surpass them.

They didn't know how it could be this easy for the kid, but they couldn't do anything. On the stairs, they couldn't interrupt anyone else. It was a rule akin to the rule about not using the magic in stairs.

Karyk maintained his pace, his eyes fixed on the top of the stairs, ignoring everyone else. He knew that he had what it takes to reach the summit and claim the prize that awaited him. After hours of climbing, he finally managed to reach the same step as the young man in the lead.

There was already a commotion amongst the older generation.

"It's impossible! Who is that kid? How could he take the lead?!"

"He must be cheating! That must be it!"

"How dare he cheat so openly? Did he think that he won't be caught?"

Many in the older generations were frustrated that their heirs weren't in the lead. However, if a mortal managed to win, then it was going to be even more insulting to them. For the sake of their dignity, they couldn't accept it.

They all looked at the Guard Captain, asking him to remove Karyk from this test. The voices of discontent only increased as more and more clans joined in.

On the other side, the Captain of the Guards could only smile. He knew better than anyone else about the secrets of this test. It was impossible to chest in the test. As for a mortal taking the lead, even though it was surprising, it wasn't impossible since the test was for willpower.

The Captain of the Guards didn't react to the voices of discontent and focused on Karyk on the stairs. From the start, Karyk hadn't slowed down. His speed was constant, where he only rested for a second at each step before climbing to the next.

In another place, the Four Generals were sitting around a round table, each with a glass of delicious wine in their hands.

Their discussions mostly involved Karyk and his recent actions. However, they also occasionally kept looking at the screen in the distance, which was showing the test of Stairway to Heaven.

"I really didn't expect a mortal to take the lead. His willpower must be quite strong." The Eastern General glanced at the screen, which showed Karyk taking the lead.

"He's certainly not bad. But he's still a mortal in the end. Can he really be of use?" The Northern General frowned. "I know the Lord asked us to train the winner of this test to the best of our abilities for some reason, but he's a mortal. How can we even train him?'

"Should we select the second rank instead?" The Western General asked, only to get a disappointed look from the Northern General.

"The second can't even reach halfway up the stairs. He's also useless. The younger generation has really fallen, it seems."

"We should just listen to the Lord and take the person who can reach the top. He must have some use for a person with strong willpower. It's the first time in a long while that he asked us to do something after all. That is, if he manages to reach the top." The Southern General smiled, revealing a cunning look in his eyes.

None of them was actually interested in training Karyk. However, if he reached the top, he really had no choice. So there was only one way left for him... To make the trial even more difficult!

The Stairway to Heaven was an artifact that belonged to him after all. It was something that he could control at will.

Currently, the pressure on each step was in the average range. However, the Southern General used his excess control to raise the difficulty.

The difficulty of the Stairway to Heaven suddenly increased. It not only came as a surprise to many that were still on the stairs, but also made them cough out blood since the pressure had suddenly increased so much.

In an instant, almost everyone was expelled from the Stairway to Heaven after failing the test.

On the other hand, Karyk slowed down for a moment. He noticed the sudden change and had a few guesses of his own as to why this was happening. However, even then, he was a god level being who had lived twice. So when it came to willpower, he was only superior to the Four Generals!

If he wanted, he could dash to the top step in an instant. However, he maintained his composure and showed as if he was having some difficulty, even as he continued climbing higher.

This surprised the Southern General even more. Even in the hardest situation, the mortal was still climbing. How could his willpower be so strong? Did they really have no choice but to select him?

While many of the Generals were surprised to see Karyk's performance, the young man succeeded in reaching the top.

Karyk stood on the top step, finishing this trial

As soon as the Trial finished, the Stairway to Heaven disappeared. Karyk's body landed on the ground safely. However, he could see that he was being glared at by everyone in his surroundings, especially the Elders who were embarrassed and the youngsters who were jealous.

"You little brat, come clean! How did you cheat?!"

"Confess and accept your wrongs and we might not punish you! If you don't..."

"We can understand that your greed got the better of you. However, that doesn't mean you're allowed to cheat!"

One after another, people kept coming to Karyk, scolding him as if they were better than him and he was a fool.

undefined"You're saying that a mortal was able to cheat in a test created by the Southern General and powerful people like you don't know how?" Karyk asked in return. "Doesn't that mean you're all quite useless? You're the one accusing me. Shouldn't you be the one telling me how I cheated?"

The crowd fell silent, stunned by Karyk's boldness.

One of the Elders stepped forward, eyeing Karyk with suspicion.

"You have some nerve, kid," he growled. "But that doesn't mean you can do anything you want. Do you think there is a way for a mortal to reach where all the heavenly geniuses couldn't reach, without cheating?"

"Heavenly Geniuses?" Karyk smiled in response. "It looks more like you're insulting them. What you're saying sounds more like saying that all of your so-called heavenly heavenly geniuses are incompetent who can't pass the Southern General's test without cheating."

The man's eyes narrowed, his suspicion growing stronger with each passing moment.

His aura intensified, pressing down on Karyk as if trying to bring him to his knees. "You talk too much, boy. You still haven't answered my question."

However, as soon as the pressure came, Gabriel appeared before Karyk, blocking the aura of the old man. Even though the aura didn't affect Karyk in the least, but it would've been suspicious if Karyk remained unharmed before the aura.

Moreover, as far as he knew Karyk, he wasn't going to go down on his knees, just to fool the kid.

"You!" The old man was even more furious to see someone stop him. The young man from his clan was in the first place before Karyk took him over, so he was even more furious.

His eyes revealed a clear anger. However, before he could do anything, the Guard Captain also moved, appearing in the middle of the conflict.

"There was no cheating. Stop now," he directly explained.

"That's impossible!" The old man scoffed. "Are you saying that a mortal won the test without cheating?"

"Unless you're saying that the test designed by our Lord was so useless that it couldn't even detect and stop cheating," the Guard Captain squinted his eyes. "So you better stop now."

The old man looked taken aback, realizing that he was in a difficult position. He glanced around and saw that the other spectators were also staring at him in disapproval.

If he still insisted on cheating after the Guard Captain said that, it meant he was going to be directly accusing the Southern General of being useless.

He wasn't a fool who wanted to go ahead the strongest man in their world, simply because of his anger. Even though he still believed that Karyk somehow cheated, he could only stop here for now.

With a final huff, he muttered under his breath and retreated back. His pressing aura also disappeared in an instant.

As he walked away from the confrontation, he couldn't help but feel defeated. He was from the second strongest clan in the Southern World, and now he couldn't even stand up for himself.

He could only glare at Karyk. If glares could kill, he would've killed Karyk a thousand times already.

"Now that the first test is over, we shall start the banquet!" The Guard Captain smiled now that the test was over. His first mission was completed. Now there was time for a three day long banquet celebrating the birthday celebration of the Southern General.

At the same time, the Guard Captain escorted Karyk and Gabriel personally, worried that he might be troubled by the others if he stayed with them. He didn't realize that the person he was looking for everywhere was right next to him.

If it was old Karyk, it would've been easy to sense his presence even when he didn't use any magic. However, after his control had increased, not a single trace of his aura leaked, making it impossible for people around him to sense the aura of death.

After some time, the large-scale celebration began.

The banquet was a spectacle of magic and wonder. The guests were seated at circular tables that floated in the air, with crystal chandeliers above them.

The tables were covered with plates and bowls of food that changed color and shape according to the guests' preferences. The food was delicious and satisfying, and the drinks were refreshing and intoxicating.

The guests were also entertained by performers who used their mystical abilities to create illusions and tricks. There were dancers who moved gracefully in the air, singers who harmonized with the birds, and mages who revealed various amazing spells to lighten the mood.

It was as if fireworks could be seen high in the sky, which made the already colorful sky look even more beautiful.

The banquet was a celebration of the birthday Celebration of the Southern General which was said to last for three days, and only on the third day was it going to be attended by the Four Generals.

Moreover, the guests included influential people from all four upper realm worlds, which made it a perfect opportunity for them to create more connections.

They exchanged stories and gifts, and learned from each other's cultures, getting more understanding about the other words in the upper realm.

The banquet was a spectacle to remember for everyone who attended. However, there were many who were still feeling regretful about failing the earlier test.

On the other side, Karyk was waiting for the Four General's arrival.

The Celebration went on for three days straight, with many minor events taking place. During that time, a small competition was established by the various clans of their own, in which the youngsters were to fight.

The Elders thought that this was the last opportunity for them. If the younger generation from their clans could still attract the attention of the Four Generals through their fighting skills, then they still had hopes of becoming the General's disciple.

And thus, a battle tournament was held in which various clans took part. Many of those clans even insisted for Karyk to take part, but in the end, Karyk refused, having no interest in such.

On the other hand, he was just waiting for the General's arrival. At the moment, he had every opportunity that he might need.

undefinedThe tournament between the youngsters went on, but Karyk paid no attention to it. He didn't even care who the winner was.

The person who was second in the Stairway test came out as the winner of the battles. However, he still didn't look happy, as if he was still frustrated about his previous loss to a mortal.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Elders also had some battles amongst themselves, to show that they were stronger. With so many influential people in this place, this was the perfect opportunity for them to spread their fame as well.

Karyk didn't take interest in this battle either, but Gabriel was different. Gabriel paid lots of attention to the battles of Masters of Various Clans, trying to learn everything he could from them.

Even though they were his potential enemies, he tried to learn from them everything that he could to the best of his abilities.

In the end, three days passed and the end of the banquet drew near. Everyone was only waiting for one thing now. The arrival of the Generals.

The portal that allowed people to leave this place had opened up, but no one was leaving, at least not before the Generals arrived.

Fortunately, the wait wasn't long as a new portal opened in the middle of the Special Realm. An unknown yet powerful aura rushed out of the portal, accompanied by the arrival of four strongest people under the King.

Even Gabriel felt their aura, realizing how strong it was. This was nothing similar to the Goddess of Nature. It was much more powerful.

The four Generals stood next to each other, without much expression on their faces. However, it was clear that they appeared somewhat disappointed for some reason.

The Clan Masters who were still hoping for their Juniors to be selected because of the battle tournament performance were left disappointed when the Southern General thanked them for attending his birthday banquet.

However, he didn't say much else, only telling them that he hoped to see them next time as well, before allowing them to leave.

The Clan Masters were taken aback. It was clear that they had no interest in taking anyone else.

Instead, Southern General gazed at Karyk, with interesting yet disappointed expressions on his face.

"You're coming with me." He told Karyk. Surprisingly enough, he still didn't recognise the young man as long as Karyk didn't use his magic.

He gestured for Karyk to leave with him and the other Generals.

Karyk also didn't resist. What could be better for him? His goal was the King of the Upper Realm and these four generals were the key to reach the Central World. It was impossible to find all of them together.

Without hesitation, he followed after the Four Generals. Gabriel also accompanied Karyk. Unfortunately, a flame wall appeared before Gabriel, blocking him.

"He won't need a bodyguard from this point on," the Southern General lazily glanced at Gabriel. However, it felt as if he was telling Gabriel that he would kill him if the man bothered them anymore.

Karyk didn't look back, but with his hands behind his back, he gestured for Gabriel to remain calm. Even if he was alone, he had confidence to protect himself.

Gabriel clenched his fist, standing still as he watched Karyk and the others enter the portal and disappear.

After everyone left, Gabriel finally scratched the back of his head, as if slightly frustrated. Was there nothing he could do other than wait? No, he didn't want that. He wasn't Karyk's subordinate. Even though Karyk was older, that didn't mean anything for him.

From the start, he had been his own self, working according to his own notion. He couldn't leave everything to Karyk.

"Since you have your own path, I suppose I'll have to make my own as well." Gabriel turned around, leaving the Secret Realm.

He was left alone in the Upper Realm since the Goddess of Nature and Jia were in Karyk's Shadow. However, by now, he at least managed to gather the basic knowledge about the Upper Realm

He also knew that there was nothing to do in the Southern World anymore. It was just the barren land of the Upper Realm after all.

Thus, he also selected his new destination... The most prosperous World in the upper realm after the Central World... The Northern World where all the minor gods from earth who betrayed them had settled down.

The only problem was getting there. But he also thought of a way.

As soon as he left the secret realm, he turned into a shadow, sneaking inside the Majestic Ship in which a prominent family from the Northern World had arrived. This was also the easiest way to get to the Northern World, albeit dangerous as well.

The Ship belonged to the fourth strongest family in the Northern World, the Stein Family, which was an expert in Artefact Creation.

It was said that no one had more treasures than the Stein Family. Despite that, no one was able to harm them, because the Stein Family used immortal golems for their protection which were created by their ancestors. This was the secret of their strength.

The only reason the Stein Family had fallen to the fourth place was all because they had lost the method of creating the Immortal Golems a long time ago. They couldn't create more. Thus, their strength was limited.

Despite that, they were still in a very safe position, albeit occasionally having conflicts with other clans. They had hoped to strengthen the position of their family in this meeting, but they were only disappointed.

The Master of the Stein Family couldn't come here personally, so he had sent his little brother, accompanying his daughter Ulesis who was the heir of the Stein Family.

Unfortunately, Ulesis had failed in becoming the Disciple of a General, losing this important opportunity.

Her uncle didn't blame her for losing. However, she could see the disappointment on his face, that was impossible to hide.

undefinedIn order to make up for her failure, Ulesis decided to focus her efforts on another aspect that could potentially benefit her family.

She had to find a way to make the Immortal Golems once again. That was the only way for her to improve her family's position. Unfortunately, that was a far fetched dream and she also knew that

Now that the banquet was over, every family started leaving. Hundreds of ancient battle ships could be seen in the sky, all going in a different direction. One of those ships belonged to the Stein Family which started flying towards the Spatial Crack that led to the Northern World.

The sky was dark. It was impossible to see any stars, a clear indication of the approaching storm. The winds had started getting colder, but Ulesis didn't seem to care.

She stood in the front of the battleship, feeling the cold wind brush against her soft skin, making her feel a lot cold, yet refreshed at the same time. However, her thoughts were still distracted.

She also occasionally glanced down at the Southern World, which was known as the barren land with far and few resources. Even though she had troubles of her own, at least she felt glad that her family wasn't established in this region.

"I wonder who that guy was... For a mortal to finish that Stairway test that even the best of the Upper Realm couldn't finish..." She muttered, as if talking to herself. "I wonder if I'll meet him again in the future."

As she looked into the distant sky, she didn't realize that in the distance, there was another man, standing with his back resting against the railing of the ship, glancing at the young woman in the distance.

Gabriel wondered how long it was going for them to reach the Northern World. Usually, it was very hard for someone to go from one World to another, since only major families could do that, using the ancient battleships that were carved with many protective formations to protect themselves against the spatial storms during travels.

Because of this banquet, it became much easier to find the others who were going to the same place as him. The only problem was that he didn't know anything about the Stein Family. Jia also wasn't here to help him with her vast knowledge.

"He went on his own journey. I can also do the same. Let's see who reaches the goal faster..." Gabriel calmly said, looking at the sky. His fighting spirit was ignited and he gained even more motivation.

Even though both of them had the same goals, they both were using different methods to reach their goals, as there was a race between them.

Karyk had the head start. However, Gabriel didn't feel as if he was much behind. Even though Karyk was with the Four Generals, it still wasn't easy for him to get to the Central World since he had to first find the secret method to get to the Central World from the Four Generals.

One mistake and his answers were going to go down in flames, since the Generals were stubborn beings, who would've rather accepted death than answer Karyk who they hated the most.

Initially, he was hoping to force the four of them, even though it was hard. If it didn't work, he was hoping to use them as hostages to force the King of the Upper Realm to come out of the secret Realm, even though it was a dangerous method.

However, with these new changes, Karyk changed his methods into something that made things easier for him for the future. Although it was a potentially easier method, it was also much slower and depended heavily on Karyk's luck and his skills.

Gabriel clenched his fist. "For them to select a so-called mortal as their Disciples, based on a Willpower Test... Just what are the Four Generals planning?'

He was really curious about the goals of the four Generals, but he left that for Karyk to find out. Instead, he focused on his own goals.

Even though he had the Element of Light, it was different from the Element of Light that the Goddess of Light possessed, thanks to his true god's body.

Previously, only the Goddess of Light had the authority over light and she could grant or take away others' access. However, now things were different.

Usually, it was impossible for two people to exist with authority over one element. However, that was the care with Gabriel. Because of his new body, he also received authority over his Light. That was why the Goddess of Light couldn't locate him anymore, despite him using the Element of Light frequently.

Unfortunately, it was also a headache for him. Since there were two people with authority over light, that meant both of them were incomplete. Progressing from this point on was harder for both of them, unless one person with authority was killed.

Moreover, as long as one of them was killed, the other was going to grow their control over the Element, maybe even reaching a much higher level than the others. That was also one of the main reasons Gabriel was going to the Northern World... To kill his competition!

Even though the Southern World was a vast world, making it hard to tread from one end to the other end, thanks to the ancient ship, the journey became much shorter. It had only been a day since the banquet ended and the ship was already halfway to the portal.

Throughout the time, Gabriel only observed the people in his surroundings, occasionally changing his position to not be caught.

During the night, when most of the people went to sleep, only he was standing on the deck, looking in the distant sky.

The night looked beautiful. The moon shone brightly, illuminating the ship. Gabriel couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over him, as he enjoyed the stillness of the night.

While Gabriel was lost in thoughts, he felt the door in the distance open. There was a presence of another person there.

undefinedCarefully, he disappeared once again to not be seen. Until he passed through the portal to the Northern World, he needed support from these people after all.

As the door opened, he once again noticed the girl called Ulesis come out. It was as if she wasn't able to sleep peacefully after what happened recently and came to get a fresh breath of air.

"Are you still not going to show yourself?" After a long period of silence, she finally spoke.

Gabriel frowned, but didn't respond. There was no way for the girl to see him when the others couldn't. However, he was taken aback when he saw that girl turn around, looking straight in his direction.

Her eyes shone in a mysterious light, as if she had some innate ability that allowed her to see through the use of magic.

Even when Gabriel was hiding, he still had to use the Dark Magic for that after all. However, since his magic was so subtle, even the General level beings would've had a hard time detecting him, that's why he was so surprised.

"How can you see me?" he stepped out of the shadow, frowning.

There was no killing intent in his eyes since he was sure that the girl came here alone. That meant she hadn't informed others. She also didn't appear stupid enough to reveal the fact that she could see him for no reason.

"Just call it an innate talent." The young woman commented, before continuing, "Anyhow, aren't you the person who accompanied the General's new disciple? Why are you on our ship?"

"Why do you think so?" Gabriel asked, stepping closer. However, he didn't answer directly.

"You're a criminal trying to escape from the Southern World?" The girl took a guess, revealing an intrigued glance.

According to her, as Gabriel was able to attend a General's Banquet, that meant the Clan he served wasn't insignificant. However, for some reason, he was escaping like a criminal, which made her intrigued.

It was only because of her curiosity that she came to talk to him. As for worrying about being attacked, she didn't think too much since she had the means to protect herself.

Gabriel didn't react much. It wasn't a lie to say that he was technically a criminal.

"Why are you telling me that you know? Aren't you scared that I'll kill you?" Gabriel asked, leaving only half a meter of distance between Ulesis and him.

Ulesis was silent for a short time, but in the end, she shook her head. "You would've already attacked me if you wanted to. Moreover, I'm not here to hurt you. Instead, I would like to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Gabriel frowned, wondering if the girl was a little crazy. Even after knowing that he was a criminal, she thought it was a good idea to deal with him? If there was a real criminal instead of him, she would've already been killed.

"Did you see me the moment I entered the ship?" he asked. "In that case, you've been observing me throughout the day?"

Ulesis affirmed. It was only after she saw Gabriel not harming anyone on the ship, and just secretly accompanying them that she thought he wasn't a killer at least. Moreover, since he was hiding, it also gave her a false impression that he was weak and scared of her uncle, which made him hide.

"What deal?" Gabriel inquired. He didn't know anyone in the Northern World. So if it wasn't a bad deal, he was quite interested in it, since that meant he could get more information from the Stein Clan. Information was what he severely lacked at the moment after all.

"You're not very old. I can see that you're not even twenty years old, even though you disguise as a middle aged man. However, your skills of using a shadow aren't half bad. So the deal is simple. I want you to help me with something. And in exchange, I'll give you Asylum and protection in the Stein Clan."

Usually, people would've at least thought that there was a possibility of this guy being the person that all the Generals were looking for. However, she could see that he had no traces of Element of Death through the mana that he used. That meant he was not the god of death.

Moreover, since that person appeared to be abandoned by his clan, that was a perfect opportunity for her.

"And what is it that I need to help you with?" Gabriel frowned. There weren't many things that he could help with, after all, since he had no interest in showing his skills for others.

"The Garden of Shadows... I need your help in entering that place. I want you to work with me, and help me win."

Gabriel didn't know what the Garden of Shadows was. However, from the name, it appeared to have a link with the Element of Darkness.

"The Garden of Shadows is the place where the Founding Ancestor of the Stein Family resided." Noticing the confusion on Gabriel's face, the girl continued.

"You may not know, but the Stein Family once used to be the strongest in the Northern World. Our Founding Ancestor used to be the leader of the Upper Realm. However..."

For a brief moment, she paused. "That's when he appeared."

Ulesis continued, "The current King of the Upper Realm. His strength was nothing like anyone had ever seen before, and so was his strange magic. However, without a few years, he gained control over the entire Upper Realm, killing everyone who stood in his path."

"Our Founding Ancestor was amongst those people who were killed by him. Throughout the coming years, the other clans also got involved and we lost most of our legacy that was supposed to be passed to us."

"Many people died in the war of control. Many great clans fell, and new clans rose, who were loyal dogs of the new King. The Four Generals also rose in that war, still serving the King loyally."

"Isn't it ironic?" She glanced back at Gabriel, his eyes revealing sadness. "The person who killed our great ancestor and caused the fall of our family... Now we were fighting to become a disciple of that person's loyal dog..."

She sighed, as if she even found something funny.

undefined"You mean you intentionally lost the Stairway to Heaven Trial then?" Gabriel asked. He had noticed that strange sight, after all. As he was observing the other youngsters on the stairs as well, he did feel that the girl had the potential to at least climb halfway. However, she was eliminated in the first thirty steps.

"I would have lost anyway, so I decided to conserve my energy," Ulesis replied calmly and truthfully. Even though she hated the Generals and the King, she knew that she needed their strength to have revenge. If possible, she would've liked to win the trial, even though it was insulting.

"So you're looking for revenge?" Gabriel asked, revealing an intrigued smile. Not many people in the world openly talked about how much they hated the King as it was considered blasphemy. "How does the Shadow Garden help you achieve that?"

"I'm looking for strength. Revenge... I don't think it's possible for me. At least that's what I thought when I lost all hope. However, now things are different. I know someone who can help me... I just want to become strong enough to help that person from the side!"

"And that person is?" Gabriel grew quite curious. There were other people who were strong and wanted the King dead? If he could work with them, then it wasn't half bad.

"The Death Star, who has appeared recently." The woman answered, lowering her head. "The Shadow Garden contains the true Legacy of our founding Ancestor. However, after his death, no one has been able to find the legacy, even the other clans tried their best."

"However, if I can find that legacy, I should be able to make more powerful Golems that can help Lord Karyk. With his help, the dream doesn't look as distant anymore."

Even though she tried to hide her emotions, she was still a young girl. Her uneasiness was quite visible. She didn't even know why she was telling all this to Gabriel in the first place.

On the other hand, Gabriel had quite a stunned look in his eyes. This girl was taking Karyk as her savior? Though she wasn't wrong since Karyk did want to kill the King of the Upper Realm, along with everyone else who hunted him in the past.

"I'll help you." In the end, Gabriel agreed. Even though the girl didn't know Karyk or his connection with Karyk, she was still willing to tell him everything.

Moreover, even though he didn't know what the Legacy of the Founding Ancestor of the Stein Clan was, if it was something that helped him before the strongest in the upper realm once upon a time, then it was definitely going to be a great help.

Gabriel knew he could not let this opportunity slip away. He promised the girl that he would get his hands on the Legacy. Moreover, this was also a perfect opportunity for him to make a connection in the Upper World that he could use against the Goddess of Light.

"Thank you. As long as you help me, you'll be considered the Saviour of our Clan. When I work with Lord Karyk, I'll make sure to introduce you to him. Together, we will save the upper realm!" Ulesis lowered her head respectfully, not showing an ounce of arrogance.

"Introduce me to him?" Gabriel could only scratch the back of his head.

"Don't worry about the rumors. You don't have to be scared of Lord Karyk. He only punishes evil! He won't hurt you. I'm sure of it!" The girl insisted, not realizing why Gabriel was looking at her like that. She thought that it was because he was as scared of Karyk since the man did have a bad reputation.

"Don't forget to put in a few good words for me, in that case." In the end, he didn't explain anything.

After discussing a few more things, he disappeared into the shadows. Even though he had a deal with Ulesis, he still had to hide until they reached the Northern Realm after all. It was only after they reached there could he reveal himself.

Ulesis watched Gabriel disappear. No matter how many times she saw it, this skill was always fascinating to her.

It was said that the Founding Ancestor of their clan was also someone who used the Element of Darkness! Moreover, he was the best when it came to that. Even for the King of the Upper Realm, it wasn't easy to kill her ancestor after all.

Looking at Gabriel's skill, compared to his age, she felt that he had lots of potential, maybe even reaching the level of her Ancestor in the future.

After a while, she also went back, finally going to sleep. She looked forward to destroying the four generals and the King, paying them back for everything they had done!

Back in the Central Realm, the Ruler of the Upper Realm was sitting on his throne, appearing to be sleeping. However, there was a mirror before him, which showed the four generals who were talking to him, telling him that they had finished the job and selected the person with strong enough willpower.

After a long journey, the Ship of Stein Family reached the spatial crack that connected to the Northern World.

Even though it was a spatial crack, it appeared as if the entire world was split apart, in that space. Lightning could be seen crackling in the sky. However, even those Lightning Bolts seemed to contain some elements of Space.

Just the single bolt was alone to rip a person apart, destroying them from their core. It was also because of these Spatial Disturbances that people couldn't pass through to other worlds without using special vessels.

Fortunately, the Ship of the Stein Clan was one such vessel. Thanks to all the protective measures that were cast while creating the massive ship, it was protected in a barrier that helped it avoid the Spatial Lightning Bolts.

It was as if the barrier made it so that the spatial element couldn't cause large-scale harm. However, it didn't mean that there was no harm. The longer a ship remained in the spatial storm, the more harm the ship was going to face.

undefinedGabriel stood on the deck of the ship, observing the sky. At the moment, no other person even dared to step on the deck, as if they were worried about being hurt.

On the other hand, Gabriel felt more interested in the spatial element in the lightning bolts.

Lightning was said to be one of the most destructive elements in the world, because of the chaotic energy it possessed. On the other hand, Space was a Supreme Element, just like the Element of Death.

A merger of the element of space and the element of lightning was a fascinating sight in itself. It was as if a single lightning bolt was passing through thousands of parallel spaces at the same time.

Looking at the Spatial Cracks everywhere, Gabriel couldn't help but think back to the moment where Raphael had used the Spatial Stone in the war against the Temple of Time.

"The power of space..." he muttered, not taking his eyes off the chaotic sky for even a moment.

He didn't know why, but he even felt as if the spatial lightning was alive. It was unclear if it was just his misconception.

Throughout the entire time, Gabriel didn't leave. Even as the ship entered the spatial crack, Gabriel remained out. It was his first time traveling in such a way after all. He was quite curious about the spatial tunnel that the Ships used.

He wanted to experience everything. However, as soon as the ship entered the spatial crack, the surroundings turned stark white. It prompted him to close his eyes, to avoid going blind.

Also, in the next moment, he was already out of the spatial tunnel. It was as if the journey only took an instant.

On the other side of the Spatial Crack was the Northern World. However, even as they entered the Northern World, none from the Stein Clan came out, since this place was also facing spatial storms.

The ship kept traveling, without break. Only when it passed through the spatial storms did the others in the Stein Clan start coming out, to check the extent of the damages on the ship.

But fortunately, the damages were minimal and easily repairable. At best, there were only a few cracks that were visible, but that didn't affect anything.

As everyone came out, Gabriel once again disappeared, as if he was nothing more than a ghost. However, he didn't forget to observe the Northern World... The world which people dreamt to enter... People like the Goddess of Light.

The Northern World was a beautiful place, with rolling hills covered in snow, icy glaciers, and shimmering auroras lighting up the sky.

However, that was only one side. This world also had areas with green planes, sea, and even mountains and volcanoes.

Moreover because of the diverse climate and rich history, the Northern World was also the most prosperous. This was also the place where the strongest in the Upper Realm resided.

Even the tenth strongest family in the Northern World was said to be as strong as the strongest family in the Southern World. The Stein Family was the fourth, even after their fall.

The Stein Family was established in the central zone of the Northern World.

Even though they didn't possess their old glory anymore, throughout the years, they had built an extensive network in the Northern World, collaborating with other renowned factions to establish their presence.

Although their strength had fallen from their peak, it still wasn't something that others could ignore. Unfortunately, many powerful clans were eying them as well, waiting for them to make one mistake.

With this looming threat, the Stein Family knew they needed to tread carefully and strategize their moves wisely to maintain their position and protect their interests in the ever-changing landscape of the Northern World. They understood that any wrong move could result in the collapse of everything they had painstakingly built over the years.

Thanks to their peculiar position, Gabriel felt that he was at the right place. However, he also knew that he had to be careful. A family that was already on their last steps, being surrounded by wolves, could easily toss him to the wolves to protect themselves, so he didn't quite trust them either.

After half a day of journey, the ship finally reached the area that was controlled by the Stein Family.

From the high above, the Stein Family looked wealthy. Just on the outskirts of their land, multiple giant golems could be seen. Moreover, the area of their mansion was multiple times larger than the ones in the Southern World.

As the ship entered deeper into the territory, a few more Ancient Ships could also be seen on the ground.

The ship on which Gabriel was traveling landed and finally, people on the ship sighed in relief. After a long journey, they were finally back.

Ulesis also got down the ship. However, she didn't forget to gesture to Gabriel to follow her.

Gabriel stepped down the ship, landing on the ground. He carefully followed Ulesis who was the last person to step down the ship.

"Are you still not going to reveal your real face?" Ulesis asked, while walking next to Gabriel. Even though Gabriel now looked much younger, it was still a disguise, hiding his real face. However, at least he now looked much closer to his real age.

"Why are you so interested in my face?" Gabriel asked in return.

He really didn't have any interest in showing his real face. It was already a headache that the girl had some special skill to see that he was wearing a disguise mask. However, even she couldn't see his real face. And he wanted to keep it that way.

"May I ask what you did in the Southern World that you had to escape with us?" Ulesis asked, while also occasionally introducing some things in her family as she came across.

undefined"I offended someone powerful, and I'm not interested in playing hide and seek with them anymore, since someone else is taking care of that matter," Gabriel answered, being as vague as he could.

"Offending people... That's so easy to do nowadays." Ulesis smiled. "However, it's good to see that you aren't some murderer who's on the run."

Gabriel glanced at the young lady next to him, whose dark hair fluttered with the wind. "How can you be sure that I'm not a killer?"

"The aura you give... It feels... Pure. Not like someone a bad person should have," Ulesis commented. Since she was very perceptive, she always believed in her perception. Moreover, so far she hadn't been wrong. At least not yet, which gave her more confidence.

Looking at the girl, Gabriel could only scratch the back of his head, thinking back to how many people he had already killed. He didn't even know if he could count that much.

Even if he didn't count the ones that he had killed when he was one with Karyk, even then his number was astronomical.

He couldn't help but wonder just how this girl could be so confident despite being so wrong. However, he didn't tell her the truth.

"I guess that's the truth. I haven't even killed an insect in all my life..."

"Anyway, where are we going now?" he asked the girl, wondering if she was taking him to the master of the clan.

Unfortunately, her response wasn't quite what he hoped. "I'm taking you to the outer guest houses. No one stays there, so you can rest easy. Just stay there for some time, until I talk to my father and convince him."

The woman brought Gabriel to an area where there were multiple houses. However, all those houses were quite empty. No one lived in the area and the clan had stopped receiving guests a long time ago.

In fact, this area was made in the generation of the founding Ancestor, but after the fall of their clan, it wasn't used much.

If anything, the number of people in the Stein Clan had only decreased throughout the years.

"Here, you can eat whatever you like. Just wait for me until I return." The girl gave a storage ring to Gabriel, which contained the food that could last for months.

After handing over the ring, she ran back to the main house, leaving Gabriel behind.

Gabriel stood with the storage ring in his hand, shaking his head lightly. Even though he had many questions about this place, he left them for later. It was too early to reveal his true desires. Moreover, he was quite curious to see just what this clan was all about, especially all the Ancient Golems that he had seen along the way.

Even though it was his first time seeing them, he could feel a familiar energy from them for some reason. It was an innate feeling that even he didn't understand.

He wanted to get closer to check just what this feeling was. However, in the end, he delayed the plans for later and entered the guest house, closing the door from inside.

It had been quite a long time since he properly rested. The first thing he did was to take a shower, before dropping on the bed as if he was half dead, from being tired.

He cast multiple spells to alert him if anyone came near the guest house, before falling asleep.

Throughout the days he stayed with the Generals, Karyk tried to gain as much understanding of his surroundings as possible.

However, something seemed amiss. All four Generals were always together, never being alone. It was unclear just what brought all of them together. However, they also continued the search for Karyk in the Upper Realm.

It was clear that they didn't know the truth. Unfortunately, since the four of them were always together, it was hard for Karyk to do much.

He first tried to understand their intentions. However, since he couldn't use his element of death to be careful, he had to be quite careful in whatever he did.

During this time, the Four Generals didn't do much. In fact, they didn't even come to meet him. He was simply left in a room where a servant often came, delivering him a pill to eat.

Karyk was careful about the unknown pill, which wasn't a poison. However, since he didn't know just what this pill actually was, he didn't eat it either.

He kept taking the pills everywhere, and kept it safely instead of eating. At best, he only pretended to eat.

Whenever he was all alone, he tried to investigate the pills and its materials. Unfortunately, even with his knowledge, he couldn't find out much, since most of the materials of the pill were unknown.

However, there was one material which he recognized... A power that was used to forcefully increase the mana inside a person's body by a small quantity with each pill.

Sitting on the bed, Karyk played with the pill in his hands. "Just what are they planning?"

Gabriel had been asleep for quite some time, but in his dream, there was nothing but emptiness. The vastness of space surrounded him, and he seemed to be floating in a void.

There was no sound or light, just the feeling of weightlessness, as if time had frozen still. However, suddenly, a faint whisper broke the silence, and Gabriel jolted to life, trying to discern where the sound was coming from.

It was as if someone was calling for him in the void. It was a voice that was clear, yet unclear at the same time. It was as if he could understand the language, while also being completely unfamiliar with the voice.

However, one thing was certain. Whenever he heard the voice, his heart tightened, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, as if he was in lots of pain.

undefinedIn the vast space, he looked all around. However, he couldn't find the source of the voice. It was as if the voice was coming from every direction at the same time.

He also wasn't sure if it was his misconception, but it appeared as if the darkness was only increasing.

In another place, Karyk had also fallen asleep. Even he was experiencing the same dream as Gabriel. This was also his first time seeing a dream like that.

Even someone like him found it hard to discern between a dream and reality.

That unknown and unfamiliar voice felt close.

It was as if the voice was right next to him, yet he couldn't pinpoint its exact location.

Karyk's heart was pounding fast and he felt a sense of dread creeping over him. He had lived a long time, and went through many things, including death. However, this was his first time feeling a fear like that... A fear that was innate. It was as if there was something in the vast space that was scary, even for him.

The whisper was alluring, as if drawing him near. At the same time, there was something deep within his heart, that was telling him to stay away.

Unfortunately, he couldn't control his curiosity and instinctively tried to find the source of the voice. Unlike Gabriel, he was more active. However, as soon as he started moving, it was as if he froze in place.

His entire body refused to move, like he was paralyzed. Within the next moment, a terrifying wave of energy swept over him.

Karyk and Gabriel, both woke up at the same time. Their hands were trembling subconsciously and their hearts were racing.

They didn't know what it was that they saw, but before they woke up, they both felt as if they had seen a shadow of something akin to a sword...

Karyk looked at his trembling hands, frowning deeply. It was as if there was innate fear buried deep within his heart, and it had something to do with that unfamiliar sword.

Gabriel, on the other hand, tried to calm his racing heart, taking deep breaths and trying to shake off the lingering feeling of dread.

They were both still in a trance, trying to make sense of it all.

Gabriel couldn't sleep the entire night, as if he was worried about that dream. Before he could even realize it, it was already morning.

Moreover, he also started getting hungry. Still, he didn't use the ring given to him by Ulesis, and used the food he had prepared himself.

After he finished eating, he was greeted with a few knocks on the door.

Since he had already sensed people coming, he wasn't surprised. He walked to the door and opened it while expecting it to be Ulesis.

However, to his surprise, Ulesis wasn't there. Instead, there was a guard there... A guard of the Stein Clan.

On the back of the man in his late twenties, a heavy sword was hanging. His aura wasn't weak either. However, for some reason, he was looking at Gabriel with a threatening gaze.

Since the man directly knocked on his door, Gabriel was sure that Ulesis had told everyone about him. However, if what happened next was a good thing, or bad, he wasn't sure.

"Follow me. Master wants to meet you." The young man said. Even though his voice was calm, it was clear that he was looking down on Gabriel.

Gabriel didn't react much, and only closed the door before walking out. He followed behind the man, who led him through the large estate grounds.

As they approached the main house, Gabriel couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue.

The protection around the main mansion was even stronger. Even for him, it would've been hard to pass through this level of defense undetected.

Moreover the closer he came to the mansion, the stronger this defense became, which only made him frown.

There were many Formations that he didn't understand, even with his vast knowledge.

One such formation even weakened his strength as long as he was within the mansion parameters.

Gabriel could feel that he could only use half of his strength inside the mansion. He was sure that this wasn't the case for the people of the Stein Clan.

The Formation didn't restrict their strength. It only worked on the strength of the outsiders, like him.

He finally understood why the Family Head agreed to meet him so easily.

Gabriel was let to a large golden door, where the guard stopped.

He knocked on the door, and waited on the side. It was only when a voice came from inside, giving permission, that he opened the door.

"Enter." He told Gabriel, while remaining inside.

Gabriel nodded, and entered the main hall of the Stein Clan. However, to his surprise, there wasn't just the Family Head there.

Along with the Family Head, the other Elders members of the Stein Family were also present there, as if there was some important meeting going on there.

Right next to the family head of the Stein Clan was Ulesis, standing with her head down.

Gabriel immediately noticed a tense atmosphere in the room. He cautiously made his way to the center of the room.

The Family Head of the Stein Clan and everyone else looked in his direction, momentarily observing him as if they wanted to see through all his secrets.

Fortunately, Gabriel wasn't worried about that. Even though he himself wasn't able to utilize that level, his body contained the strength of true gods... Along with the essence of Karyk, which granted him partial access to the Element of Death without needing any Elemental Mark.

His body wasn't something that people in the Upper Realm could see through, at least not until they were at the level of the King of the Upper Realm.

His body contained many secrets. However, everyone who tried to see through him couldn't find them, which gave them the impression that he was more ordinary than they expected.

undefinedAfter a few moments of silence, the Family Head finally broke the ice. "So you want to work for us?"

Gabriel frowned. Wasn't it his daughter who wanted to work with him? How did the story suddenly change?

He didn't raise his doubts at the moment.

"This brat froze in our presence. He can't even answer," one of the elders mockingly stated before glancing at Ulesis. "Don't tell me you really thought this guy could be of use to us."

Another Elder nodded. "That's right. Entering the Shadow Garden and finding the Legacy of the Founder? He would be lucky if he could even survive half-way in the shadow garden."

"I agree. It's just a waste of effort. Even the best of the shadow mages don't want to enter the Shadow Garden because they know it's impossible for them to return alive. To send a brat like him, and place our hopes on him is nothing but a childish fantasy," the first Elder continued.

The Elders already looked hostile toward him from the start. However, their hostility was directly visible now. It was as if they weren't even trying to hide it anymore.

"I don't know how you managed to fool our intelligent niece to make her think that you're capable. However, it's not easy to fool us. You dare try to scam the Stein Clan?"

One after other, the Elders kept raising their voices.

"Eldest Brother, this brat tried to fool our family, despite having no skills. He wasted our time. We should make an example of him. Let him leave one of his hands behind, so he'll remember who not to mess with!" Another Elder stated, glancing at the Family Head.

"Father, no! It wasn't h-" Ulesis chimed in, seemingly concerned. She brought Gabriel here. However, even she didn't think that her family was going to be so stubborn.

Unfortunately, before she could even finish her sentence, the family head raised his head, telling her to stop. "That's enough."

Hearing his voice, all the Elders also stopped speaking.

The family head focused on Gabriel. "What do you have to say?"

"What do you expect me to say?" Gabriel asked in return. "Do you want me to beg for my life? I was called here. I didn't ask your daughter to help me. She asked for my help."

Even though the help of the Stein Family was of great use to him, it didn't mean he was going to become their servant. They wanted him to leave one hand behind? They could only imagine.

"If you don't want my help, then so be it. However, the ones who want me to leave a hand behind..." He glanced at all the Elders who were the loudest. "They can try their best. However, the outcome might not be what they imagined."

As he finished speaking, Gabriel turned around, as if he didn't want to stay there any longer.

"You arrogant brat, you dare!" One of the Elders was furious, watching Gabriel leave while also threatening them.

He stood up in anger. However, that was all. As soon as he stood up, he froze at once, feeling a sharp blade against his neck!

A single movement, and his head would've fallen to the ground.

He couldn't even turn behind, to see who had their sword on his hand. However it was clear to the others. It was a shadow!

"Oh, and one more thing. Your formation might have weakened me, but it doesn't affect my shadows. Try to stop me and half your family will die before you can even touch me."

From the start to the end, the Family Head of the Stein Clan hadn't moved. It was as if he was calmly observing everything.

Even when one of the Elders was taken hostage, his eyes didn't reveal any surprise. If anything, there was only a smile on his lips as he gazed at Gabriel.

"We will provide you with everything you want, as long as you help us." Just as Gabriel was about to leave, the Family Head spoke, surprising all the Elders.

Others were thinking that he would go furious because of Gabriel's words and try to kill him. However, to everyone's surprise, he looked more pleased than anything.

It was as if after a long time, he had seen some hope. Not only did Gabriel have courage, but he had enough skills to use his shadows to such perfection even when his strength was limited because of their formation.

Moreover, he was sure that it wasn't all the strength the young man had. Even though he wasn't able to see through Gabriel, that was also what made it more suspicious. It made him feel that Gabriel was hiding many secrets. His strength was no way near the level he had shown.

Even though he heard from his daughter that Gabriel was skilled, seeing everything with his own eyes was even more impressive.

With Gabriel's help, he had a feeling that they could actually succeed in retrieving the Legacy the next time the shadow garden opened for everyone in the Northern World.

No matter how much he had to pay, he wanted Gabriel!

"Don't mind what the others said. They've just been disappointed recently so they find it hard to trust people." The Family Head sighed, before gesturing all the Elders to sit down and to not intervene.

Gabriel also stopped, turning back to the Family Head. As long as these people weren't really going too far, he didn't mind working with them. In any case, he was also curious about this Shadow Garden that many powerful clans in the Upper World were interested in.

"Every five years, the shadow garden opens. And every major clan sends people inside the Shadow Garden. We also do the same. However, throughout the years, we've always been failing to even get to the inner area, let alone reaching the core." The middle aged man on the main seat sighed.

As he mentioned, the other Elders also showed frustrated expressions. This had been the great shame of their clan.

The Shadow Garden was supposed to belong to their Clan. However, everyone was allowed to enter it ever since their family fell. Moreover, despite being the original owners, the performance of their family had been worse when it came to exploring the Shadow Garden.

undefinedEvery year, they selected the best Shadow Mage that they could find. However, most of the better ones were already selected and groomed by the bigger clans. And the ones that the Stein Family selected were either bribed by the other clans, or proven to be useless.

After being disappointed so many times, all the Elders had slowly started giving up on the Shadow Garden, only taking part for the sake of it.

Moreover, throughout the years, it wasn't the first time where some shadow mages approached them to scam their clan. That's why, they got angry when they felt like they saw another person like that.

Even though they still didn't trust Gabriel, but at least after seeing his performance, they did start having some hopes.

All the Elders sat down, listening to the Family Head.

The Shadow that was keeping one of the Elders hostage also disappeared.

However, at the same time, another shadow appeared behind Gabriel, taking the shape of a majestic dark seat.

"I'll give it another chance then." Gabriel sat right before the Family Head, without showing much reaction.

It was as if he was implying that he wasn't a subordinate of the Stein Clan, but a partner.

The Family Head only smiled in response, but he didn't comment on anything. He waved his hand, closing the main doors to prevent anyone outside from listening to the contents of the meeting.

For the next two hours, no one came out of the meeting hall. There were many servants outside who were quite curious about the contents of the meeting. Amongst the servants, there were also some spies, who wanted to get as much information as they could to send to their masters.

Unfortunately, this time the family head was more careful. He even cast a sound isolating barrier, which made it almost impossible for even the spies. However, they could easily guess that this meeting was related to the opening of the shadow garden which was supposed to be opening soon.

In another place, there was an isolated clan which didn't involve themselves with the outside world. However, not many people knew that there was a reason that the clan was so isolated.

They didn't get involved with the outside world much because they had things that even they wanted to hide.

Unfortunately, because of the banquet of the Generals, they had no choice but to send an heir with a guard to attend the meeting.

They didn't realize that their heir was the same person whose identity was stolen by Karyk and Gabriel to enter the banquet.

Moreover, to make sure that there were no loose ends, Karyk had already taken some steps.

Since his identity was the biggest flaw he had, he just had to do one thing... Kill the people who could expose him.

As for the blame, that was naturally going to fall on the Death Star. Karyk already realized that the world was going to justify that action, saying that the clan was wiped out by Karyk because one of the clan members became a Disciple of a general.

It was even better when he found out that the clan was more isolated. Even in the banquet, they didn't interact with the others, remaining separate as if they were just here for formality.

The clan didn't want to keep any relationship with the outsiders, especially since they didn't want to attract the attention of a General. It was another reason why the heir of that clan was out of the Stairway test so soon.

The clan had told him to avoid attention as much as possible, and just to show attendance in the records, since not attending was also going to attract attention.

Since the clan dealt with the dead bodies and evil souls, they didn't want to attract the Generals and found out. The Generals were already looking for Karyk who used the element of death after all.

The clan didn't realize that their heir had attracted unwanted attention. Before he left the banquet, Karyk had already attached a shadow to the heir of the clan whose identity he was stealing.

Fortunately, using the shadow wasn't enough to attract much attention since his shadow was always out.

As the heir returned to the isolated clan, entering the main building to meet his Father and brief him about what happened in the banquet, the shadow finally became bigger.

Two of the stronger generals of Karyk came out of the shadows. Before the clan master could even react, his head flew high in the air. His eyes remained wide open in disbelief as he died.

Even his son died right before his eyes.

No one realized that a clan had disappeared like nothing. Everyone in the clan died. However, when the Death Generals reached deeper into the Clan building, even they were slightly surprised as they sensed the aura of death filling the entire place.

The Death Generals reached the depths of the clan, sensing a powerful aura of death around them. However, as they stepped downstairs, even they were slightly surprised.

They could see the stairs being covered in blood. Even some splashes of blood could be seen in the walls.

Walking down the stairs, one of the Death Generals noticed a finger lying near the corner of the stairs. The finger was very small and didn't appear to belong to an adult. If anything, it seemed to belong to a little child.

Even the Death Generals felt slightly disgusted. However, they had seen many such scenes. After only a brief glance, they kept going down.

After reaching the end of the stairs, they were even more stunned. In the middle of the hall, there was a statue of a strange creature who had six arms and three heads.

undefinedThe person in the statue seemed to have canine-like teeths, that were covered in blood. However, what was even more surprising was that all around the statue, fresh bodies of little children were littered around, all of them being dead.

Moreover, there were also cells in the distance, which were filled with skeletons that appeared to be there for thousands of years. There appeared to be tens of thousands of the skeletons, all belonging to children.

"This clan... Just what was it trying to do? How can they be so disgusting?" one of the two Generals frowned.

He raised his hand, casting a dark flame that couldn't be extinguished, as if intending to burn this entire place straight to hell.

The General was the Ancestor of Raphael, and was quite wide.

Since Karyk was pretending to be a son of this clan, it was going to be troublesome for the time being if this truth was exposed.

After casting a fire that could burn anything, both the Generals left the clan together, disappearing into the shadows.

The entire clan burned down to ashes leaving nothing in its place. However, if the Generals were here, they would've been stunned.

The strange statue in the basement was still completely intact, even as it was constantly burned by the invincible flames. This was the only taking that was left intact in the entire clan premise.

However, the blood on the teeths of the statue had disappeared. At the same time, something seemed different about it. Unfortunately, it was impossible to put a finger on what.

After two long hours, the doors of the meeting room finally opened and Karyk stepped out. Behind him, the Elders also left the hall. All of them appeared somewhat pleased, as if the discussion had gone well.

"From now on, Gabriel will stay with us. Assign a room on the first floor to him." The Family Head told the Head Butler of the house, before leaving. There were some more things he had to take care of, especially related to Gabriel's demands that he had placed forth during the negotiations.

The Family Head of the Stein Clan didn't understand why Gabriel wanted the information about the Goddess of Light, and everyone else who was close to the Northern General.

However, he didn't pry the young man's matters. In any case, their clan was also against the King of the Upper Realm and the four Generals who were the cause behind their Downfall.

Also, the more he talked to Gabriel in the meeting, the more he realized that Gabriel wasn't ordinary. In some regards, his understanding of the situation and his knowledge was even better than him after all!

The Family Head of the Stein Clan found himself to be quite impressed. Moreover, he had high hopes that Gabriel wasn't going to be bought by the other clans since he also hated the General. All other clans were puppets of the Northern General after all.

So the two of them were natural allies. He was once again hopeful that they could retrieve the legacy and revive their clan. However, he didn't dream too high yet, since things were easier said than done.

All the Elders also got back to their work, looking quite pleased. Moreover, none of the Elders appeared to be faking it! They truly loved the Family and wanted revenge! They wanted nothing more than to see their clan rise to the same old heights after recovering the legacy!

The Head Butler of the Clan escorted him to the new room that was assigned to him. However, before he could do much, Ulesis stopped him, telling him that she was going to take care of it.

Leaving the Butler behind, she held Gabriel's hands and took him upstairs to show him the best available room on the first floor.

"You scared me when you started fighting there. Fortunately, things turned out well in the end." As she walked next to Gabriel, she couldn't help but think back to that tense moment where everyone was on the verge of a war.

"There was nothing to be scared of. I knew your father wouldn't move. As a family head, he had to worry more about the family than about his own feelings," Gabriel responded, not showing much reaction. "As soon as I got a hold of his family, he could do nothing. Either he could watch me leave, or he could negotiate. And he did the latter."

"Did you plan everything?" Ulesis asked.

However, Gabriel didn't answer. Instead, he asked a question of his own. "Why did your founder leave his legacy in a place where even you can't retrieve it easily?"

"He didn't leave that legacy there. If anything, he didn't even have the time to leave behind any legacy..." Ulesis sighed.

"Then that Legacy...?" Gabriel frowned.

"That's the original source of the Legacy. Even he learned everything he knew at that place. No one knows when shadow gardens appeared, or where that legacy came from. However, if we want to gain the knowledge that our founder had, we can only go directly to the source." The girl answered.

"Directly to the source huh..." Gabriel thought of something, but didn't comment much.

"If that Legacy is such a threat to the King of the Upper Realm and the Generals, why don't they just take it and make it impossible for the others to even get an opportunity?" Gabriel asked, intrigued about the hidden current behind everyone's actions.

It was said that many clans were after that legacy. However, so far, the Four Generals hadn't gotten involved, let alone the King of the Upper Realm.

If he personally tried, no one thought that he was going to fail at all. So why didn't he?

"It's because he can't... No one at the level of a true god can enter the Shadow Garden," the young lady answered, surprising even Gabriel.

"A place that can even stop true gods? How?"

undefinedTrue Gods were the ones who had sole control over their elements. When a true god of one element appeared, that meant no one else in the world was able to use that Element anymore. It was as if they were the sole master of their element.

Gabriel couldn't help but wonder how there was a place that could even suppress a true god? Just what was that place? Where did that legacy come from?

"Do you have any guesses where that Legacy could've come from?" he asked the young lady.

Unfortunately, in response, he only received a light shake of head. "No one knows. Maybe only the King of the Upper Realm knows. However, there are some rumors that the legacy doesn't belong to the Upper Realm."

"Not from the Upper Realm?" Gabriel frowned. The battle that changed the landscape of the Nether Realm entirely... The people involved in that battle weren't from the Nether Realm or the Upper Realm either.

Moreover, the True God who was killed by him back on earth wasn't from the Upper Realm either. However, they had such an impact on the Upper Realm and the Nether Realm.

Gabriel couldn't help but raise his head, as if thinking about something. He couldn't help but wonder if the reason the King of the Upper Realm didn't leave the Central World of the Upper Realm had something to do with that unknown place.

He had many questions, but not enough answers. The only taking he knew was that he had to get that legacy at any cost, to understand more.

Moreover, even though he had some elements of a true god inside his body, like his skeleton and his blood, when it came to his Element, he hadn't reached the True God Level. If anything, he was only halfway there. That made him believe that he was probably able to enter that place, however he still couldn't be sure completely.

From what he had heard so far, the Shadow Garden was something that no one knew much about. Only the founder of the Stein Clan had somehow managed to reach the core and learn some things. However, Gabriel believed that the guy was most probably just lucky to be able to reach the core region.

"The Shadow Garden will open in three days. Until then, father will collect all the information that you wanted. So rest assured." Ulesis stopped before a room, opening the door.

"This is where you'll stay. However, be careful. Even though we tried to hide the information, there are many unknown spies of other great clans even within our own clan. Many people must already know by now that you're the mage we asked to work with us in Shadow Garden exploration."

Gabriel entered the room, nodding. "You mean they might try to kill me before that happens?"

"The chances are still there, no matter how negligible. So it's better if you don't leave the clan before the shadow garden opens. However, the spies might still contact you, to buy your loyalty."

As the woman spoke, she lowered her head slightly, as if still somewhat worried that Gabriel was going to join another clan, just like many others before him. However, she also felt that the chances of that happening were low.

If Gabriel was really that kind of person, then he would've just demanded Treasures or wealth from his clan in the first place. He didn't even ask for a single treasure and only focused on the information, as if he had no intentions of amassing treasures in the first place.

"I'll take care of that when that happens..." Gabriel responded, before closing the door.

Even as he closed the door, Ulesis remained behind for a few more seconds, before ultimately leaving.

As Ulesis left, Gabriel finally started observing the bearing room.

The room was quite luxurious to say the least. It definitely didn't appear to be prepared for ordinary guests. Not only was the room big, but it had everything a person could ask for.

However, for Gabriel, the luxuries were useless. He slept outside more often than he slept inside a room. So he wasn't picky about his surroundings.

In the room, he only paid attention to the shower and the bed.

He took off his clothes and entered the shower, still lost in thoughts about the shadow garden and the unknown danger. He didn't know why, but he felt that there was something that neither he nor Karyk could see.

The legacy of the Shadow Garden, the skeleton and the Blood Monarch in the Nether Realm, and the scary sword in his dreams... Something big was happening, that he hadn't yet understood completely.

He really wanted to talk to Karyk about this. Unfortunately, he couldn't. He had to take care of everything on his side on his own.

"It would've been better if at least Raphael was here with me..." He muttered, as cold water droplets trickled down his perfectly chiseled body. "I should ask him back next time..."

In the night, Gabriel cast another protective spell around his room. Even though he saw many people approaching his room, none of them tried entering. It was as if they were being careful.

That's how the first night passed away without much happening. However, the next morning, something did happen.

There was a knock on the door, which made Gabriel wake up from his sleep. This time, he didn't dream of that sword. If anything, he didn't dream at all, as if something was blocking him from even entering dreams.

Gabriel got off the bed, donning proper clothes before opening the door while still rubbing his eyes as if he was still sleeping.

As the door opened, Gabriel was greeted with a beautiful maid, standing on the other side. The maid had a tray in her hand, which appeared to contain breakfast.

The maid respectfully greeted Gabriel before informing him that she was here to bring him breakfast.

Gabriel didn't think much and moved aside, allowing the maid to enter with the tray, carrying food.

undefinedThe aroma of delicious food filled the room as she placed the tray on the table, arranging everything.

However, she didn't leave right away.

"Young Master, I heard that you're here to help the family?" The maid asked, as if she was just curious.

However, her seemingly innocent question made Gabriel frown. "What if I am?"

"N-nothing. It's just that there were many people before you. And most of them died. So I just wanted to remind you to be careful, if you're really hellbent on working with the Stein Family. Who knows, what might happen..." The maid kept her head down, even as she spoke.

However, to Gabriel, her words clearly sounded like a threat, no matter how tame she behaved.

It was clear that she was someone who was working for the other clans, while staying in the Stein Family.

"Is that a threat?" Gabriel asked, maintaining his calm as he closed the door behind him.

The maid was slightly taken aback. However, she soon regained her composure. "I wouldn't dare. I was just worried about you, since I've seen so many things happen. I just thought I should alert you so previous tragedies don't happen again.

"Is that so?" Gabriel pulled a chair, sitting right before the table where the breakfast was placed. "Then what do you suggest I should do?"

"If I was in your place, I would've left the Stein Clan as soon as possible. Life is more important than treasures," the maid vaguely replied. However, it was clear just what she was talking about.

"That's true. Life is more important than treasures. However, what's a poor life without any wealth? Isn't that simply a life that no one wants?" Gabriel asked. "If I leave, won't I be the biggest idiot? Not only will I not get any money, but also I'll be chased by the Stein Clan for revenge..."

"That's true. But you can... Work with the other Clans?" The maid said, as if she just wanted to give Gabriel a hint. "I'm sure they'd be willing to pay you for doing nothing."

"Is that so?"

"That's right. In any case, even if you join the Stein Clan, you probably won't succeed in the Shadow Garden. That place is scarier than one can imagine. So instead of doing something and dying, isn't it better to do nothing and still get a profit through the other clans?' the maid replied.

It was as if she was revealing her true thoughts, now that she had started receiving a positive response from Gabriel.

"That's true. If I can earn wealth and support without doing anything, why would I risk my life. However, are you sure the other clans will work with me? I don't even know how to contact them. Moreover, I'm not even sure how much, if anything, will they pay me."

Gabriel started eating breakfast, after making sure it wasn't poisoned. Even though he was mostly immune to poison, he was still careful.

"Don't worry about it. I know some people in the other clans. I can talk to them for you!" The girl grew excited. "As for the rewards, you don't even have to worry about that. The Stein Clan looks big, but they're much poorer than the other clans. If anything, the other clans will only reward you with more than you're getting here!"

"What do I have to do in return? Shall I leave right away?" Gabriel smiled, taking the first bite of the breakfast that was somewhat delicious.

"N-no! Cough, I mean you should wait for the deal to compete first. The deal should be finalized until a few hours before everyone is to enter the Shadow Garden. All you have to do is change sides at that time!"

As the maid spoke, she was having a hard time hiding the greed and malice in her eyes.

"Alright. You can take care of the negotiations." Gabriel smiled in response, but didn't do anything else.

He simply watched the maid leave. The door was closed again after the maid left.

Gabriel's smile disappeared, and he focused mainly on the food.

"She's quite bad at controlling her facial expressions. I'm surprised she survived as a spy in this clan for so long. Is the Stein Family so stupid?"

He could only shake his head lightly, finishing the dinner.

After he finished, he left the room to roam through the Stein Clan premise. Now that he was a respected guest here, he was allowed to go anywhere he wanted, barring a few Forbidden places where only the clan members could enter.

Fortunately, he didn't have any intention of going to those places. All he wanted was to see the giant golems that felt somewhat familiar to him.

They were created using the legacy in the shadow garden. For them to feel so familiar to him, even though it was his first time seeing them made Gabriel quite intrigued about them.

As he left the clan building, a few guards accompanied him. Even though the excuse was that they were following him to protect him from any danger.

However, Gabriel was sure that they were there to keep an eye on him, in case he left the clan. They had to make sure he didn't meet the other clans while outside.

Gabriel just let them follow him, not caring much.

The mansion of the Stein Clan was surrounded by a lush forest that covered quite a lot of land.

Many traps and formations were also placed in those places. However, as a guest, Gabriel was given a token that allowed him to walk through the forest without activating any traps. It was as if he was part of the Stein family.

Gabriel stepped tentatively into the lush forest, his senses alive with the heady scents of blooming flowers and the rustling of leaves underfoot. The canopy overhead filtered the sunlight into an ethereal green glow, dappling the forest floor with shadows that seemed to shift and dance as he walked.

As he followed a winding path deeper into the woods, he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. There was a mystery to this place, a feeling that there were secrets lurking just beyond the next bend in the trail.

This place contained such a pure aura that he was surprised. It made it evident that the Stein Clan was actually an ancient clan with many mysteries hiding in the shadows.

undefinedAs he rounded a particularly thick stand of trees, he stumbled upon a hidden glade. The grass here was a vivid green, and in the center of the clearing stood a pool of crystal-clear water that seemed to shimmer in the dappled sunlight.

Without hesitation, Gabriel approached the pool and peered into its depths. He was slightly surprised at what he saw. However, since the guards didn't try to stop him, it was evident that this place wasn't that big of a secret.

Beneath the water's surface lay an entire world of vibrant coral, teeming with fish and other sea creatures that he had never seen before. Moreover, those creatures contained some magic in their blood that he could feel clearly. How was it possible, he wondered, that such a place could exist in the heart of a forest?

For a little while longer, he explored the glade, marveling at its beauty and mystery.

However, he knew that he wasn't here for this. Before long, he finally stopped his observation and continued on his way toward the Giant Golems in the distance that appeared like mountains which got bigger the closer he came.

After a short journey, he finally reached the end of the beautiful forest, catching the sight of the Ancient Golems.

They were immense, towering over him like mountains themselves. Their stone bodies were intricately carved, with runes and symbols etched into their surfaces. And yet, for all their grandeur, they stood motionless as if they were mere statues.

Gabriel approached one of the golems, awestruck by its sheer size and strength. He circled it, taking in every detail, but there was no sign of life. It was as if the golem were waiting for something, some signal to awaken it from its slumber.

The closer he came, the more familiar he felt, for some reason, that he couldn't grasp.

He tried to speak to the golem, but there was no response. It was as if the golem couldn't hear him or didn't want to. Despite that, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to them.

As the sun began to set, he decided to stay a while longer. He watched as the shadows grew longer and the stars appeared in the sky, yet he couldn't understand the golems.

However, just as he was about to leave, he heard a sound, a faint rumbling that grew louder and louder. He turned to see one of the golems moving, its massive arms swinging as it reached for something.

Gabriel was intrigued. The golem was incredibly powerful, but it seemed to be moving with a sense of purpose. He wondered what it was trying to do.

The golem eventually stopped, its arms falling back to its sides. Gabriel approached it again, hoping to get some answers. But still, there was no response. The golem stood there, silent and unmoving once more, as if what he just saw previously was nothing more than an illusion.

This was very strange. He was sure that the Golems moved on their own, stretching their hands as if they were trying to grasp something that was beyond their reach.

Gabriel turned to look in the direction that they reached out their hands. However, he couldn't find anything special in that direction except the moon hanging high in the sky.

Gabriel touched the Golems, frowning. "Just what are you? Do I really need to get the legacy to understand you?"

As he touched the Golems, the strange yet familiar feeling deep within his heart only intensified. That feeling made him somewhat restless.

In the end, he took his hand off, taking a few steps back.

He was sure that he couldn't understand anything as he was now. He had to do everything he could to get that legacy for himself.

After some time, he turned around and went back. All throughout this time, the guards had been keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't mess with the golems. However, Gabriel didn't know that the guards hadn't seen the hands of the Golems moving at all.

It was something that only he saw. However, it really wasn't an illusion either. It was something more.

Even as Gabriel left, the Golems remained still, like lifeless statues, facing the moon.

So far, no one had seen the statues move, at least not in the last thousand years since the statues only moved the last time the Stein Clan was attacked. They were the only reason that the clan had still managed to survive all this time, after all.

Two days passed. There had been no significant movements. Gabriel remained inside the Stein Clan throughout this time, only trying to create new spells, especially ones that were more focused on his darkness element.

He had a feeling that he was going to need that a lot in the Shadow Garden. Throughout this time, only Ulesis came to talk to him every day. However, she was always sent back by Gabriel, who only wanted some privacy.

In the last two days, the Stein Clan had used all they could, to receive the information that they needed.

However, since they were still a big clan, with lots of branches in all zones of the Northern World, they had managed to gather the information swiftly.

Within two days, the clan had gathered information about every powerful person in the Northern World.

The Family Head held over a hundred pages in his hand. He had finished going through all the pages. If anything, these pages contained all the latest information, even some that he hadn't known previously.

After he finished verifying the information, he stood up and personally went to meet Gabriel.

undefinedReaching closer to Gabriel's room, he was slightly surprised to see that the entire area was completely empty. Even the servants weren't there. However, he could feel a powerful aura coming from Gabriel's room.

To some extent, this aura even surprised him. It was more powerful than what Gabriel had shown in the main hall when he stood against them.

He was even more certain now that his hunch about Gabriel was correct. That guy was hiding more strength than he had shown.

As if Gabriel also sensed the presence of the family head, his aura slowly disappeared.

He got off the bed and donned proper clothing to welcome the coming guest.

Before the Family Head could even knock on the door, Gabriel opened it. Moreover, his eyes directly went on the papers in the middle-aged man's hands.

"It looks like you've gathered the information."

"Everything that you asked for..." The middle-aged man nodded before handing over the papers to Gabriel.

"Surprisingly enough, it was harder to find the information on the woman you are looking for. Even harder to find than the information on the Four Generals. Not much is known about her other than the fact that she stays in the Castle of Light in the Central Region."

Hearing the man's explanation, Gabriel took the papers. He hadn't expected that getting information about the Goddess of Light was going to be so hard.

"What's her strength when compared to the Four Generals?" Gabriel stepped back, allowing the middle-aged man to enter the room.

"She's said to be much weaker. However, no one can say for sure since no one has actually seen her fight. However, there are rumors that she's close to the King. Other than the Four Generals, she's the one who has been to the Central World and met the King," the Clan Head replied.

"That's to be expected. She's a snake who won't be satisfied until she gets everything," Gabriel commented as he focused on the little details about the Goddess of Light that was before him. "Still, it's good to confirm that she knows how to get to him."

"I'm curious about something. Do you have an enmity with that woman?" The Family Head asked, slightly curious. From the way Gabriel talked about her, he was already certain that Gabriel hated that woman.

"Perhaps one could make that observation," Gabriel replied in a relaxed manner.

"How did you make any enemy of someone her level? From what I know, she rarely leaves her palace and hasn't made any enemies. Moreover, you came from the Southern World, but she never went there. So how are the two of you connected?"

The Family Head was quite curious about Gabriel's identity since his daughter had already told him that Gabriel was using a mask and he didn't like showing his real face.

If he wasn't sure that Gabriel didn't have the Element of Death, he might have already suspected that the person before him was Karyk himself. Who else dared to make the King and the Generals his enemies?

"You don't need to know that." Gabriel placed the documents aside. "Now that I've received my payment, I'll help you explore the Shadow Garden. However, I won't be anyone's babysitter. So you should tell them to listen to me at all times."

"Ah, right. I'll make sure." The Family Head felt somewhat awkward. Gabriel was the only person who talked to him in that manner. However, he didn't get angry. He had noticed that Gabriel was truly capable. If they succeed this time, then their clan could really rise to the top once again, becoming a formidable force.

Last time, only the founder had the legacy, and he became the strongest. However, this time the family head wasn't planning on monopolizing that knowledge. Instead, he was planning to teach all the core members of the family.

He wasn't going to make the same mistake that his ancestor did! With so many powerhouses, he was sure that he could stand against the other clans! Even the Generals would've had to hesitate in attacking them.

In any case, he wasn't planning to publicize it, even if their clan found the Legacy. He had planned to pretend that they had failed in retrieving the Legacy, even if they succeeded.

Dreaming about a pleasant future, the old man left Gabriel's room, seemingly happy.

As the Stein family head left, closing the door behind him, Gabriel once again picked up the documents.

This was the information that even Jia didn't have. It contained so many secrets about the Northern World that Gabriel hadn't expected.

He read everything in the documents, even about the clans that he had no familiarity with. It was as if he wanted to know everything that was to be known.

"So many clans are loyal to the Northern General... Even though I expected this, but it's still..."

Gabriel kept flipping the pages, going through all the information. "Hmm? The Northern General is said to not like the Goddess of Light? This is... A conflict? For a clever person like her to get in a conflict with a General... Just what was she thinking?"

After he finished everything, Gabriel burned all the papers before dropping on the bed. He was thinking about how to deal with the Goddess of Light. However, now he had a plan.

It was finally the time for everyone to leave for the Shadow Garden. After a long time, the Stein Family appeared to be full of life.

An Ancient Ship was already ready and waiting for everyone outside. Moreover, almost everyone had already gathered outside the Stein Clan, including the family head and his daughter.

The ship was beautifully crafted, with intricate designs carved into every corner. The sails were a deep purple, and the flag atop the mast bore the emblem of the Stein Family. As they boarded the ship, excited chatter filled the air.

Only Gabriel was yet to come out for now. Fortunately, it wasn't long before he did.

undefinedGabriel didn't use a mask to change his face anymore. Instead, he used a property mask that covered his complete face, since he had heard that there were some traps in the Shadow Garden that made all disguises unusable.

Other than the mask, Gabriel was donning all black. His pitch black robe fluttered in the wind behind him, as he stepped out of the clan building.

The robe didn't belong to him. It contained the symbol of the Stein Family. The robe was a treasure of the Stein Family from the first generation. Once upon a time, this same robe was used by the Founder of the Stein Clan. By giving this robe to Gabriel, the Stein Clan was showing a lot of faith in them.

"Even though I don't know what he looks like, or why he hides his face, I have a feeling that he's quite good looking." The Stein Family Head stood at the edge of the ship, next to his daughter as he spoke.

"He's also talented in magic, certainly even more than I was," he further continued while his daughter looked up at him, wondering why he was suddenly talking like that.

However, she soon understood when her father further spoke, "If you two somehow fell in love, I really wouldn't mind making him a son in law."

"Father!" Ulesis was stunned. She grabbed her hand tightly, not believing that her father actually said that. Even though she didn't have such feelings towards Gabriel yet, but hearing her father talk about such, made her slightly embarrassed.

"What? I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind." The middle aged man laughed.

Ulesis cast a furious glance at her father, before she stopped looking at him.

On the other hand, Gabriel glanced up at the ship in the sky. Stairs made using ropes were tossed down to help Gabriel come up. However, Gabriel didn't pay attention to that.

He simply gathered some of his elemental energy, making his body as light as father before raising his right foot.

He stomped his foot on the ground, jumping high in the sky. As he rose higher towards the ship, he felt the rush of wind on his face and the sheer exhilaration.

He soon landed on the ship, right next to Ulesis. "Is everyone here already?"

"They are. We can leave now." The Family Head smiled, before raising his hand, gesturing that they were ready to leave.

The ship turned around and started leaving.

While the Majestic Ship left the Stein Family territory, no one noticed that the Ancient Golems that had always remained unmoving were actually looking up now, glancing in the direction of the ship.

Even though the Shadow Garden was the most important place for the Stein Family, it wasn't in their territory. If anything, it was in a neutral territory that wasn't under anyone's control.

The Shadow Garden was in an area called the Beast Region. That was the place which was the home of many frightening beasts. It was said that there were also some Ancient Beasts in the Beast Region that were as strong as the four Generals.

All because of that, no one tried to conquer the Beast Forest. Humans could enter the beast forest to explore the Shadow Garden since the Overlord Beasts didn't care about it. However, if one was to try and conquer the Beast Region, then the result was quite different.

In fact, there were many major families in the Northern World with ancient roots. They sent all of their strongest members to conquer the Beast Region. However, none of them returned alive. All those clans just disappeared in one day.

That's why, the Stein Family and the other families were very careful to not do anything extra when they were in the Beast Region.

After half a day, the Stein Family Head brought Gabriel to the deck, showing him a vast area ahead that was surrounded in a dark beastly aura.

"From here on, the Beast Region starts, the only independent region that isn't under the control of the King of the Upper Realm..." The middle aged man spoke.

"Was he not strong enough to conquer this place?" Gabriel asked.

"Who knows?" The Stein Family Head shook his head lightly. He could still gather the information about the Four Generals to some extent, but gathering information about the King was almost impossible.

No one knew much about his past, other than the fact that he suddenly rose, taking over the entire upper realm within a short few years.

There were some rumors that he had received some great legacy that helped him become stronger. However, there were also rumors that he wasn't from this world at all, and came from somewhere else.

Since no one knew about the King, the rumors kept appearing one after another. Some even said that the King was the reincarnation of some ancient being. The rumors only became more and more absurd with time.

Despite all the rumors, one thing was for sure, the King was a force to be reckoned with. His army was fiercely loyal to him, and his power seemed to be immeasurable.

He ruled his Upper Realm with an iron fist, and no one dared to challenge him. And that was when he didn't even appear in the four worlds anymore. That was the level of fear that he had on the others, who had seen his past.

The Younger Generation might've underestimated him since they hadn't been born when the King was crushing all his opponents, painting the Upper Realm blood red. The younger generation didn't even believe most of those stories about the King's Achievements.

However, the older Generation knew that most of those stories about the King were true. They had seen the true terror. If the Stein Family Head didn't have such a heart filled with anger, even he wouldn't have dared to stand against the King of the Upper Realm and his people.

However, it was too late to step back. He had to find the legacy at any cost. That was the only way to regain their old glory! This was the dream that all previous Stein Family Heads shared.

"There's someone really powerful in this place... I sense multiple auras..." Gabriel commented, looking down at the ground that was covered in dark mist.

undefined"Hmm?" The Family Head frowned. Even he hadn't sensed any auras yet. However, Gabriel was able to sense one? Moreover, he was the person who stood unphased against all his Elders.

For him to say that the aura was powerful, it couldn't be a small thing.

"It's not shocking. Maybe an Overlord Beast is nearby. However, they wouldn't attack us, unless we attacked the Beast Region," the Stein Family Head replied, before turning around.

"You should rest. In half a day, we'll reach our destination. From there on, you might not have a chance to rest."

The middle aged man left, after telling Gabriel to leave as well. However, Gabriel didn't leave. He remained in his place, gazing down in the direction where the aura was coming from.

That aura wasn't weak in the least. If anything, it was as strong as the auras of the Four Generals that he had felt in the banquet.

Unfortunately, because of the mist, he couldn't see anything at all.

He didn't know that on the ground, there was another person looking in his direction, with great interest.

The person appeared like a human, but he wasn't quite. He was bare chested, carrying some traits of a lion.

In fact, he also had fur all over his body. His fur was a golden brown, shimmering in the light, and his muscles rippled with every movement it made.

The creature let out a low growl as it caught sight of Gabriel. However, his eyes looked to be filled with great intrigue.

Gabriel frowned, hearing the subtle noise.

Despite his intimidating and fierce appearance, the beast didn't do anything. As if he had no intention of even getting up, being too lazy.

Each of his movements was fluid and graceful, despite his bulky frame. His eyes were a piercing amber, and they seemed to be watching Gabriel closely.

He also had sharp claws and teeth, which he used to tear into the carcass of a recent kill. It seemed to relish the feast, letting out deep, rumbling laughter of satisfaction with each bite, as if he was a child enjoying delicacies.

Despite his animalistic tendencies, however, there was a sense of intelligence in its eyes. He seemed to be aware of his surroundings.

Gabriel was really curious about the beast that this aura belonged to. If possible, he wanted to go down and check. However, he knew that it would've been a bad idea if he created some misunderstanding that would've been hard to clear later on.

In the end, he could only give up on his thoughts, and return to his room as well, but not before taking another glance down.

As Gabriel left, the beast revealed a smile. His teeth were covered in blood as he was still eating. However, his smile was of great interest.

"He's quite different... A person with the scent of an Ancestral Beast... How interesting..."

The person glanced at the ship, as if memorizing it. After that, he returned all his focus to eating.

After half a day, the Ship of the Stein Clan reached near the Shadow Garden where multiple other ships were already present.

Amongst the top ten clans, almost all were here. Other than that, there were also some weaker Families, who were here to try their luck to see if they could get the legacy.

Many groups had gathered on the ground, with people they were comfortable with. Many clans had already allied as well.

However, as soon as the Stein Family Ship reached there, all attention fell on them. There was not a single person who wasn't looking toward the ship.

Many Major Clan Heads could also be seen laughing.

"These idiots never give up. How foolish." One of the Clan Heads smirked. "They have become a laughing stock of the entire Northern World.

" If I was in their place, I would've destroyed this joke of a family myself, to prevent any further embarrassment!" Another Clan Head laughed.

Laughters and mockery filled the air. Fortunately, it was limited to the top ten clans. The weaker clan didn't dare to do such a thing. No matter how weak the Stein Clan was, it was still technically the fourth strongest Family.

Being small families, they didn't want to offend the Stein Clan even by accident. The Major Clans might not have to worry, but they weren't the same.

While there was mockery everywhere, the ship of the Stein Clan landed. The members of the Stein Clan quietly stepped down from the ship and observed the environment, assessing their competition. They knew they had to be cautious if they wanted to obtain the legacy.

However, after hearing all the mockery, their expressions were naturally quite unnatural. Even Ulesis appeared angry. She wanted to shut the mouth of everyone here, but she kept her calm, knowing that it could only worsen the thing there.

On the other hand, Gabriel saw one of the Family Heads subtly sending a signal to the maid behind them. It was the same maid who had approached him, telling him that the deal was final and he had to wait until they reached the Shadow Garden before he was supposed to change his position!

"Just like always, you're still the last person to show your face, aren't you?" An old man laughed, approaching the Stein family Head.

He was the Patriarch of the second strongest family in the Northern World, the Skyler Family. He was also the one who was the most eager to get the Shadow Garden Legacy as he always wanted his family to become the strongest.

Unfortunately, it wasn't easy for him to achieve that since the Northern Dragon Clan was currently the strongest clan, and their strength was way above everyone else.

In fact, while every other clan paid so much importance to the Shadow Garden, the Northern Dragon Clan only sent one person to explore this place each time, as if they actually didn't have much intention of getting that legacy but just did it for formality.

undefinedIt was said that the Northern Dragon Clan were the true descendants of the Dragons, being able to use the most unique magic of real dragons.

A young girl, in her late twenties stood in the distance, not even bothering to glance at the others. On her robe, the symbol of the Northern Dragon Clan was clearly visible. However, not a single person dared to approach her.

The Skyler Family Head didn't pay attention to her. He was more focused on Gabriel. From what he heard, the Stein Clan had too much faith in this young man, which also made him want to crush their hopes and use Gabriel to his advantage.

The Stein Family Head didn't reveal much hostility even though he was quite frustrated.

"Apologies. I didn't think that you all would be waiting for me. To think that you all still wait for us like you used to do in the old era when your family was nothing but a third rate family... It's touching..."

The Skyler Family Head frowned, sensing the mockery. However, he eventually laughed. "Yeah, the past was certainly good. Who would've thought that your family would fall to this extent that it's like dogs in front of us now. What a pity."

He didn't give the Stein Family Head the time to respond before glancing at Gabriel. "Is he the secret weapon you found this time?"

The Stein Family Head frowned, but he didn't comment. He just felt somewhat strange. Why was this guy talking in this manner? Something appeared amiss. He also looked at Gabriel.

"Wouldn't it be a pity if he were to leave you right now and join my team?" The Skyler Family Head asked, as his smirk widened.

"That won't be happening. He isn't on sale!" The Stein Family Head frowned. However, deep inside, he was already expecting that. If anything, he was pleased. Everything was going as Gabriel told him. Now the next part was more important.

"Heh, you still think that? There's no person who isn't on sale. It's just a matter of how much someone is willing to pay." The Skyler Family Head laughed, as he reached out his hand to give a small ring to Gabriel.

"There is the payment you asked for. You can switch teams now, according to our previous deal."

To everyone's surprise, Gabriel didn't hesitate either. He simply took the ring from the hand of the man that contained various treasures that would've been enough for a small clan to live their life comfortably.

"You..." The Stein Family Head was taken aback, as he looked at Gabriel in disbelief. However, within his heart, he was laughing. Gabriel wasn't a person who needed treasures. The only reason he took that offer was for something else... Something that they both knew about.

In the background, the young maid smiled. Everything had worked out. She knew she was also going to get rewarded for her success.

Even Ulesis couldn't believe her eyes. Did Gabriel really double cross them for money? But he didn't appear to be a person like that? Then what? Why would he take the treasures from their enemies?

She reached out her hand to pull his hand and ask. However, to her surprise, Gabriel didn't even look behind, as he started walking away from their group, surprising everyone else.

Ulesis and everyone else in the Stein Clan was stunned. Gabriel could even feel a lot of bloodlust coming in his direction from the Stein Family Members, as if they all wanted him dead!

They trusted him and he also betrayed them at the last moment.

Unfortunately, before they could do anything to Gabriel, the Skyler Family Head stepped in front of Gabriel, protecting him behind him.

"He's now a member of my team. Are you trying to go to war with my family?" The old man asked, asking the Stein Family Head, who was still standing blankly.

Eventually, he gestured for his clans to stop. They really couldn't do anything in this place.

"Let him go. We have no place for traitors," he spoke, frowning. However, his eyes never left Gabriel.

The Skyler Family Head laughed. "As I said, there's no absolute loyalty in this world. It's just a matter of the right price!"

With his hands behind his back, he started walking back to his group, but not before taunting, "Looks like you'll be the first to fail this time as well. You better leave right now and don't make things hard for yourself."

"We never should've trusted that bastard! What are we going to do now?! Do we really have no choice but to give up?" One of the Elders asked as an emergency meeting of the Stein Family Members was called.

"You're right! We brought that bastard here, only for him to be used by others! We really should've killed him while we had the chance!" Another Elder chimed in.

One after another, all the Elders kept speaking. If possible, they would've entered the Shadow Garden personally, but there was a limit of age, which prevented them from entering. Only youngsters could enter and explore Shadow Garden.

"Just because we lost one person, doesn't mean we lost the cause! We still have more people that we brought! We can still get the legacy if we give it our all! We can't act like cowards!"

The discussion of the Elders continued. However, there were two people who weren't saying anything. One was Ulesis, who was still in shock. The second was her father. However, even though her father was silent and expressionless, there was something akin to a smile on the corner of his lips that was barely noticeable.

"We won't be entering the Shadow Garden this time." In the end, the Stein Family Head finally spoke, surprising everyone.

"What are you saying? How can we give up so easily?!" The First Elder asked, taken aback.

"Just as I said. We don't have a powerful shadow mage. So entering now would only mean the death of our people. So we will give up on the search this time. Not like they can find it anyway," the Family Head explained.

undefined"You... How can you even think that?! You should've been even angrier?! Why do you look so calm instead?! Have you become silly with anger?"

"That's enough. My decision is final. None of you will be entering this time."

The Family Head rarely revealed such fierce expressions. Since the Stein family had cast a barrier, no one could hear what they were saying. No one could even see them properly.

However, to everyone's surprise, when the barrier was removed, the Stein Family Head cast a furious glance at Gabriel. "I hope that the treasures were worth it. Because for as long as you live, you will be chased by the Stein Family. You won't have a single place where you'd be able to hide."

"And if you think the Skyler Family will protect you for all your life, then you're too naive!" He spoke. At the same time, the other members of the Stein Family also revealed their killing intent openly. If possible, they would've already attacked Gabriel.

"I think you don't need to worry about me," Gabriel responded. "You should worry more about yourself. How many of your people do you think can come out of the Shadow Garden alive, now that you've threatened me?!"

"We won't be entering the Shadow Garden this time. So you won't have that opportunity. However, I'm really furious to see how long you can have that arrogance of yours!'

The Stein Family Head turned around, going back to the ship with the other family members. However, he didn't leave.

Instead, the ship still remained there, as if the Stein Clan wanted to make sure that no one found the Legacy. They wanted to stay behind to make sure that everyone else had failed too.

The Stein Family, which was known to be stubborn, had suddenly given up on exploring the Shadow Garden. Even the Skyler Family Head found it too surprising. However, at the same time, he knew that this was a sensible decision.

Since the Stein Family was convinced that Gabriel wasn't going to betray them, they didn't bring any backup shadow mage to support them. And if they entered without one, they were going to have a really hard time even surviving, let alone entering the core region.

The Skyler Family Head couldn't help but laugh out loud, nodding in satisfaction.

The mockery of the Stein Clan only intensified in that place. However, no one knew that the reality behind this 'betrayal' was quite different than they were expecting.

Only two people knew about the true planā€” Gabriel and the Stein Family Head. Even Ulesis wasn't prone to such information, which was why she appeared to be so heartbroken.

Her father felt bad keeping her in the dark. However, he knew that it was better if no one else knew the heir.

Other than the Stein Family, there were many sets of eyes of Gabriel now. Even the woman from the Northern Dragon Clan was looking at him.

However, her gaze wasn't favorable. It was as if she hated traitors, who broke their promises for their greed. That was why her impression of Gabriel was already pretty bad. However, she also felt that the man had something more to him.

The Northern Dragon Clan was said to have the bloodline of True Dragons. However, even that bloodline of hers was being stimulated as she looked at Gabriel, as if it was somewhat fearful for some reason. This was a strange feeling for her as she hadn't experienced this before.

Even when she was before the Northern General, she didn't have this feeling. It was not the suppression of strength, but a suppression of Bloodline.

She found it quite hard to believe, slightly confused as to what this feeling was. Was it really because of Gabriel? Or did he have some treasure, because of which she was feeling like that?

She didn't realize that she wasn't the only one who was feeling this strange feeling. In the Beast Region, many overlords had sensed that, since they were overlord beasts with ancient Bloodlines that even scared the four generals.

It was as if an ancient Beast had walked inside their territory, making their Bloodlines restless, despite their strength. This feeling was safe, but also quite different.

Gabriel didn't realize it, but at the moment, many Overlords of the Beast Region had started paying attention to him, keeping an eye on him.

Fortunately, they just observed and didn't act hostile. They didn't attack the group of humans. If they wanted to, they would have already killed them after all.

Fortunately, Gabriel didn't have to stay behind for long. As soon as the barrier around the Shadow Garden weakened, it was time for everyone to enter the Shadow Garden.

"We paid a lot for you, so you better not disappoint me, or I'll kill you myself! Also, you better listen to all my others!" The team of the Skyler Family was being led by the grandson of the Patriarch, who acted as if he was the owner of everyone in his team.

He walked inside the shadow garden, accompanied by his team members.

The woman from the Northern Dragon Clan also entered, but not before looking around, noticing that there were many ancient beasts who were observing this place, which didn't happen usually.

The Shadow Garden was a Mystical Space inside the Beast Region that even the Beast Monarchs couldn't enter. However, as this place was explored by humans so many times already, quite a lot of things were already known about this place to the outside world, especially about the basic outer structure of the place.

It was known that everyone who entered the Shadow Region, appeared at the same place in the Outer Zone. That meant the battle for supremacy in the Shadow Garden started right from the start... From the moment everyone entered.

That was the time where many powerful teams attempted to kill the weaker teams to eliminate the variants.

The stronger teams formed alliances to increase their chances of survival, while the weaker teams had to rely on their own skills and instincts to stay alive. The Shadow Garden was a place where strength mattered the most, and only the strongest and most cunning would emerge victorious.

undefinedMoreover, there was no outside interference in a place like this. No one from the outside could even see what was happening inside the Shadow Garden either. So no one could stop them. The ones who died could only blame their bad luck and nothing else.

This was something that Gabriel was already informed by the Stein Clan before he even came here. That's why, he wasn't surprised in the least when he was attacked as soon as he entered the Shadow Garden.

He raised his hand lightly, casting a shadow barrier before him, which blocked the attack for him. However, that wasn't enough. This was the new spell that he had personally created when he was inside the Stein Clan after all.

It wasn't just a simple barrier. It was much more.

Not only did the shadow barrier absorb all the attacks, but it also later reflected those same attacks where they came from.

The person who had attacked Gabriel was stunned, when he saw his attack coming back at him. Unfortunately, before he could even move, he was hit. His body flew back, as a hole was left behind in his chest.

The other people from the Skyler Family also arrived, along with the other powerful families. The entire place had turned into a small stage battlefield.

However, the heirs of various big clans were simply standing in the back with great arrogance on their faces. They had people who could fight for them. They didn't even have to dirty their hands.

There was only one person in the entire place who was all alone, yet that person wasn't attacked. She was the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan. Neither the big clans, nor the small clans dared to attack her.

She simply walked through the battlefield, occasionally glancing at Gabriel in the distance. However, she didn't approach him.

The battle didn't last long. Just as everyone had expected, the smaller clans were thoroughly destroyed. No one outside was going to know what happened since this had happened every time.

It was going to be said that they died because of falling into some trap. Everyone knew how dangerous the Shadow Garden was, after all.

After the battle was over, everyone continued entering deeper into the shadow garden while being careful about the traps.

Fortunately, in the outer zone, they could be more relaxed since most of the traps in this place were already known. It was the Inner and the Core Zone which was truly dangerous.

That was also where the shadow mages were going to come into play.

For now, Gabriel had no use. However, strangely enough, he didn't get much respect in the Skyler Family.

While all other big families kept their Shadow Mages in the back, to protect themselves for the time being, the Skyler Family Heir didn't do so.

For him, Gabriel was no more than a dog that wagged their tails for them. If he couldn't even survive in the Outer Zone without being protected, then he had no abilities to lead them to the Core Region.

Moreover, the Skyler Clan brought an extra shadow mage, on which they had more faith after all. If anything, they didn't really believe that Gabriel was any special. The only reason Gabriel was hired was to mess with the Stein Clan.

Gabriel didn't argue for the time being either. With his hands in his pocket, he walked ahead of everyone else, observing the Shadow Garden like a child, filled with curiosity.

He didn't know that the strange symbols on his bones that even Karyk couldn't understand had started shining a little.

As he walked further, the intensity of the glow increased, causing him to feel a strange warmth coursing through his body. Gabriel frowned, not realizing what that was.

"This place is really interesting. The plants were, I have never seen before. The essence they contain isn't something that belongs to the Upper Realm?" he muttered, feeling everything in his surroundings, thanks to his element having properties of Light and Darkness.

"Where are you?" While Gabriel was walking in the Shadow Garden, he suddenly froze, hearing a voice in his head.

'Karyk?' he frowned, raising his head.

"Hey!" While Gabriel stopped walking, someone pushed him from behind. "Stop wasting our time. Be a good dog and continue walking!"

Frowning, Gabriel glanced back, noticing it was again the heir of the Skyler Clan.

He shook his head lightly, not getting angry. He had seen too many idiots like this already.

He started walking again, but was still curious how he was able to hear Karyk's voice.

"How are we able to talk?" Gabriel asked, after creating some distance with the others.

He didn't notice that the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan was still keeping an eye on him.

"Look at your shadow..." Karyk's voice fell in Gabriel's head.

"Huh?"

As Karyk said this, Gabriel looked down, finally realizing that there was something different about his shadow that he hadn't noticed before.

His shadow contained something else... It was... The path to Karyk's Shadow Realm where his entire army was!

"How did you do it?" he asked, only to get a small answer in return.

"I sent you some friends..." Karyk responded. "Since I can't use them here, it's better if they accompany you."

Even though Karyk could still access that space whenever he wanted, but because he sent some Death Generals to Gabriel, he was connected to the same space as well.

That also allowed the two of them to keep in touch, without leaving any elemental trace.

As for the Death Generals that found Gabriel, they were the same that Karyk had sent to destroy all traces of his fake identity. The shadow couldn't return to him, since he was under the watch of the Four Generals. That left only Gabriel who could take care of them

undefinedGabriel didn't stop walking, but he kept glancing at his shadow. Just recently, he was getting jealous that Karyk took everyone with him, but to his surprise, he got everything back, and even more.

In the Shadow Region, there wasn't only the Death Army of Gabriel. There were also Jia and the Goddess of Nature.

Thanks to that, he now has more hands to play in the Northern World. He had a force of his own.

"Did you find a way to enter the Central World?" Gabriel asked, remaining calm.

In another place, Gabriel was standing before a window, gazing out at the dark surroundings.

He was in a castle, which appeared to be the most protected place in the world. The entire place was surrounded by spatial storms, which made it impossible for anyone to teleport to this place, or leave this place without knowing a specific movement pattern.

Even for Karyk, it wasn't easy to leave this place. However, strangely enough, the Four Generals weren't leaving either.

"I did find some clues," he answered. "It shouldn't take long."

He further continued, "However, I sense some danger around you. You should be more careful. Too many eyes are on you at the moment, with auras no weaker than the Generals. That's why I asked, where are you?"

Gabriel also had the same feeling. As if too many people were watching him as soon as he reached the Beast Region.

He told Karyk everything, from where he was, to why he came here.

"The Legacy of the Shadow Garden?" Karyk frowned. He remembered hearing something about it the last time he came to the Upper World. However, he was so busy with his own thing, that he didn't have any time to pay attention to it.

"So the auras I feel are the Overlords of the Beast Region... And they are all paying attention to you..." Karyk frowned. Something felt off.

Even if Gabriel was strong, it shouldn't have been enough to attract the attention of the Beast Monarchs, especially when he was hiding his aura.

That meant that there was something more to this.

No matter how much he thought about this, he could only think of three times. Either it was because of his blood and soul connection with Gabriel, or the blood of a true god that was used to make his body. And lastly, it could be because of the Skeleton.

"They must have come across many True Gods already. So it shouldn't be because of blood. The Beast Monarchs are said to be too lazy after all, not paying attention to anything else but their own land and their own people."

Karyk appeared to be talking to himself, but his voice was clearly heard by Gabriel.

"Does that mean it's because of that Skeleton which we found in the Nether World?" Gabriel asked.

"There's only one way to find out. Approach them after you're done here," Karyk responded, placing his hand on the cold window before him.

"Won't that be dangerous? They don't like humans approaching them. At least that's what I heard..." Gabriel commented, with slight hesitation.

"They are paying attention to you. That means they're more curious about you. Moreover, their attention doesn't feel hostile toward you, but filled with curiosity."

Karyk was more sensitive to such things. Thanks to his shadows, he could feel just what kind of attention Gabriel was getting.

If it was really because of the skeleton, then this was the only way that they had to find out more about the Skeleton, the Shadow Garden and what happened in the Nether Realm thousands of years ago!

Gabriel remained silent, thinking about this. He didn't realize that his speed had slowed down because of that.

Behind him, the heir of the Skyler Clan was once again furious. This time, he didn't just push Gabriel.

Instead, he raised his foot to kick Gabriel. Unfortunately for him, the result this time wasn't the same.

Since Gabriel was actively thinking about what to do with the Beast Monarchs, he didn't have enough focus to control his subconscious reaction.

As soon as the kick of the Skyler Clan heir reached near him, he subconsciously reacted.

A spike shot out from the shadow, penetrating the heart of the Skyler Clan heir, making him vomit blood right away.

It was only when he heard the screams of the man that Gabriel came out of his daze, turning around.

Unfortunately, things had already happened. He couldn't change anything.

Initially, he was planning to use the Skyler Clan who had most information about the Shadow Garden to reach the core. This was also a plan he had discussed with the Stein Clan head. Unfortunately, before he could even get out of the Outer Zone, he had already subconsciously screwed this cooperation.

Now that he couldn't change this, he could only act sooner than expected.

The other youngsters in the Skyler Clan Faction were taken aback, as soon as the heir of the clan was killed.

They reacted right away, but before they could attack, shadows appeared behind them, slicing their throats.

One after another, the youngsters of the Skyler Clan dropped on the ground.

The other Clans were also not far from them, so they saw everything clearly, which stunned even them.

Even the Northern Dragon Clan Heir revealed some reaction.

Within an instant, the entire team sent by the Skyler Clan was wiped out, making them the top clan to be completely wiped out. And it was all because of one person.

Even the Shadow Mages that were brought by the other Clans were stunned. Gabriel only revealed his strength for a short time, but that was enough for them to know that he was stronger than them.

All the clans created some distance from Gabriel, being wary. The heirs of various clans moved in the back. Since Gabriel had killed everyone from the Skyler Clan, he only had one way to prevent this information from leaking and that was to kill everyone who was present here.

That's also what everyone thought, and was prepared to face.

undefinedHowever, to everyone's surprise, Gabriel didn't attack them. Instead, he turned around and started leaving. He felt that it was a pity to kill all those people so soon. Moreover, he had a feeling that he was being watched by something scary, even now.

He was in no mood to reveal all his tricks until he reached the core region of the Shadow Garden.

Watching Gabriel leave, everyone sighed in relief. They changed their direction, making sure that they weren't going to come across Gabriel when exploring the Shadow Garden.

There was only one person who still followed Gabriel. It was a woman who was carrying a heavy Sword on her back, yet her footsteps were light.

She was from the Northern Dragon Clan, the strongest family in the Northern World.

Unlike others, she didn't appear scared. If anything, she appeared to be even more intrigued about Gabriel. The man was the strongest youngster she had come across. Moreover, he gave her an incomprehensible feeling.

She was even more convinced that the strange feeling she was getting from him wasn't a coincidence.

As she continued to walk towards Gabriel, her eyes never left him even as she was just a few feet away. She followed quietly observing him from head to toe, analyzing every detail of his appearance.

"When will you stop following me?" After a long time, Gabriel finally asked, slowly down.

Even though he hadn't reacted previously, he had been clear that the girl was following him for quite some time.

Fortunately, she didn't have any Killing Intent which made him allow her to follow him.

"I'll stop following you when I find what I'm looking for," the girl replied with a determined look on her face.

Gabriel couldn't help but be intrigued by her persistence and curiosity. He decided to humor her and ask, "And what is it that you're looking for?"

"Answers," the woman replied. Her expressions didn't falter at all.

Gabriel was intrigued but also a bit hesitant, feeling as if whatever answer she was looking for had something to do with him.

"Answers to what?" he asked, still cautious.

The woman didn't reply. Even though she had many things she wanted to ask, she was more clear than anything that Gabriel wasn't going to answer if she directly asked, as the two of them were strangers for now.

Instead, she decided to observe him and try to decipher the truth herself.

"I know everything about the Shadow Garden. I can help you." The woman spoke after a brief pause.

"And why do you think I need your help?" Gabriel asked, frowning.

"If you didn't need someone's help, a strong person like you wouldn't be working with the Skyler Clan. I understand that the betrayal of the Stein Clan was false. You were using the Skyler Clan for their information, weren't you?"

As the woman spoke, Gabriel frowned even more. He was surprised that she had managed to guess as much.

"Now that you killed them, you don't have anyone to guide you."

"I can just take the others hostage, if I wanted to. Why would I need your help?" Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Because the ones who are alive don't have that much information. If the information was so easy to attend, the Stein Clan would've already given you," the woman further spoke, stepping closer. "However, I'm different. I know quite a lot about this place, if not more than the Skyler Clan heir."

"And what are you looking for in return for helping me?" Gabriel frowned.

"A simple favor..."

"And that favor would be?" Gabriel didn't want to make any blank promises.

"I'll tell you when the time comes," the woman replied with a cryptic smile. "But for now, let's just say our interests align."

"If you don't tell me now, then I'm not making any promises. Even if you help me, I might disagree later if it's too much of a bother for me."

Gabriel shrugged. He did need a guide, for the most part. However, that didn't mean he was going to do anything.

The woman didn't react to his statement. Instead, she finally introduced herself.

"I'm Ezil."

"Gabriel." Gabriel walked behind her.

Even though the woman was strong, she was still very young. If anything, it was clear that even if all the clans in the Shadow Garden had joined to attack her, they would've lost easily.

Even Gabriel couldn't see the true depths of her. All he knew was the information that was in the documents he had received but that information was also missing a lot of things.

"Does the Northern Dragon Clan really have the Bloodline of the true dragons?" Following behind the girl, he inquired.

Just like this was an opportunity for Ezil, this was also an opportunity for him to know more. The Northern Dragon Clan was really close to the King of the Upper Realm. However, they couldn't be called subordinates of the King.

Gabriel wasn't trusting enough to reveal his secrets to the people that might become his enemies in the future. However, that didn't mean he couldn't ask for their secrets instead.

"What do you think?" Ezil asked in return as she kept walking deeper into the forest.

"Sounds like a rumor. It was said that true Dragons were the Ancient Mythical Beasts, comparable to true gods. However, you... Doesn't even seem to be close."

The woman frowned in response. She didn't know why, but she felt somewhat insulted.

"Our Ancestors were actually True Dragons. However, over the years, the Bloodline has diluted a lot. However, our clan is still strong enough to dominate the entire Northern World."

"Before the new King rose to power, the Northern Dragon Clan and the Stein Clan used to be the two overlord clans. At that time, the Stein Family went against the current King. On the other hand, our clan remained neutral, not caring much."

"The Northern Dragon Clan was scared of the new King?" Gabriel inquired.

undefined"That wasn't because our clan was scared," Ezil clarified. "It just means we don't care much about control of the Upper Realm. We have bigger concerns..."

"Bigger concerns? What?"

Ezil opened her lips to speak, but she soon realized that she had already spoken more than she should. She closed her lips and rushed ahead, as if she suddenly noticed something.

She rushed ahead, observing a small pattern that was on the ground, hidden amidst the dark grass.

Gabriel also stepped closer, observing the pattern. As soon as he saw that pattern, he grew somewhat surprised.

The pattern... It was similar to what he had seen on the Ancient Golems. Moreover, now that he looked clearly, it also felt somewhat similar to one of the ancient characters that were carved on his skeleton.

"You know what this pattern is?" he asked Ezil, who was sitting on one knee before the pattern, observing it.

"This will be our shortcut," Ezil replied, as she bit her finger lightly, making it bleed.

"A shortcut?" Gabriel asked, while Ezil placed her blood on the small pattern.

"Exactly. This is what I was looking for. I believe only our clan knows about this. Inside the Shadow Garden, no one can use Teleportation."

"However, there is said to be one such pattern in each of the three Shadow Garden Zones that lead directly from one size to another, making the journey easy."

"You mean this is like a Teleportation Formation. How come the Northern Dragon Clan still hasn't obtained the legacy, even if you know this secret? Doesn't that make it super easy for you to reach the Core Region?"

"You think it's that easy? Our clan was lucky to find the formation in the outer zone. However, we don't know where the formation in the Inner Zone is. So it's impossible to directly enter the Core Region."

Ezil stood up as the formation circle appeared around her. Unfortunately, the formation circle was very small, as if it was only made for one person.

She reached out her hand, grabbing Gabriel's hands, pulling him into her arms, accommodating him inside the small formation circle.

Gabriel felt his body brushing against the soft body of the young woman, which made him taken aback.

However, he didn't have much time to think about anything. His surroundings turned white. He finally felt the element of space in the Shadow Garden.

The Spatial Element was similar to what he felt when the ship passed through spatial cracks between the worlds. If anything, it was even stronger.

Fortunately, it didn't last long. The two of them appeared in the center of the Inner Zone of the Shadow Garden, shortening their journey by a few days at least.

Ezil pushed Gabriel back as soon as they successfully Teleported. Her expressions were somewhat unnatural, but she didn't say anything.

She didn't know why, but when her body was pressed against Gabriel, her heart had started beating even faster.

Moreover, that strange feeling from before became even stronger for her. Her Bloodline felt suppressed, as if it truly was scared of whatever Gabriel was hiding.

Gabriel patted his clothes, observing his new surroundings. He didn't think much about what happened before.

The Inner Zone of the Shadow Garden was even darker. If anything, it was impossible for an ordinary person to see a single thing here.

He finally understood why Shadow Mages were paid so much importance in the exploration. In a place where it was even hard to see, it was truly impossible to reach the threshold of the core region.

It was also clear why so many people died throughout the years in this place. Even he could barely see anything, despite having the Element of Darkness. However, one thing was certain. They weren't alone here!

He could feel more auras in this place. The auras didn't feel like the auras of humans. It was something else. One thing was certain. This place wasn't simple.

"Can you see in this place?" He asked Ezil, who was also looking around.

Ezil turned around, revealing her beautiful face. Her eyes were shining in a mysterious green light.

She answered, "Barely... And it'll only get darker the further we go. So be careful. No one has managed to reach the core region, but it's said that a person's six senses stop working when one enters the Core Region. Even I don't know how true is that."

"Also, this is why our clan hasn't managed to find the formation of the Inner Zone. In this darkness, it's impossible unless you're the child of destiny... So we'll have to take a long route."

As they walked, the green shine in her grew brighter and more intense. However, her vision only grew weaker, having a hard time keeping up.

The air around them grew colder, sending shivers down their spines.

"We must be getting closer," she whispered, "stay close to me."

They continued on cautiously. For every step, they had to be careful that they weren't walking into some trap. That's why it took them even longer to cover a short distance.

Gabriel could also feel that those strange auras were following them. They still hadn't attacked or revealed any hostility. However, Gabriel was prepared for the moment they did.

Since this place was so dark, he could actually use the Army of Undead without alerting Ezil. However, if possible, he wanted to avoid that since he had a feeling that this was bad for him if she found out the truth.

The further Gabriel entered into the Shadow Garden, the worse it became.

After some time, Ezil was unable to see anything at all. Even with her unique eyes, she failed to see a single thing. It was as if she was nothing more than a blind person who could only rely on her senses.

However, for some reason, Gabriel was still able to see to some extent. Even though his vision was also affected, making him unable to see farther than a few meters, but he could at least watch his footsteps.

He noticed Ezil walking even more carefully, checking her surroundings with her hands. This made him realize that she had finally lost the ability to see things at all.

undefined"You can't see anything now, do you?" he asked.

"Like you're doing any better," Ezil rolled her eyes. She didn't believe that Gabriel was in a better condition than her.

"At the rate we're walking, we're never going to get out of this place. I can still see. You focus on the barrier around us, and let me leave you."

He reached out his hand, holding the young lady's hands, who was taken aback by the sudden touch. However, she didn't resist. If Gabriel could actually see, then it was certainly better and made the journey shorter.

Holding Ezil's hands, Gabriel led her. He focused on the direction according to Ezil's guidance. On the other hand, Ezil focused on the barrier around them to protect them from the decaying energy around them.

Even though Gabriel guided her while holding her hand, their speed was still not very fast, since she still had to walk carefully as she was unable to see at all.

In the end, Gabriel became even more impatient. He didn't have any intention of spending more time here than he had to.

He moved closer to Ezil, leaving her hand. Instead, he placed an arm over her shoulders, stunning her. However, at the same time, he placed his other arm behind her knees.

"What are you-" Ezil tried to speak, but before she could finish, she was picked up by Gabriel like a princess.

"I'm increasing our speed. Focus on your barrier. I'll take care of the rest."

Gabriel sent out multiple shadows to check the terrain in his surroundings, especially in the direction of the auras that made him feel threatened. The auras were getting closer to him slowly. This was another reason he wanted to move faster.

However, there was another reason that he picked up Ezil. Initially, the strange auras that he felt didn't feel hostile. That's why he didn't know much. However, the closer he got to the Core Region of the Shadow Garden, the more their killing intent he felt.

In the end, he understood that things were much worse than he would've liked. It was only a matter of time before they were attacked. So he had to take care of that matter before it could become shackles around his neck.

That's why, he embraced Ezil. While keeping her close, he could cast a small barrier around him and her to prevent her from sending the auras of his Death Generals. Moreover, it was also much safer.

Gabriel sent his shadows toward the terrifying auras that didn't belong to the Beast Overlords of the Shadow Region.

Instead, these were creatures that were born in the Shadow Garden itself. They were stronger inside the Shadow Garden than they were outside.

The Shadow Beasts didn't have much intelligence. They didn't attack everyone they saw. However, they also had an innate feeling that they had to prevent anyone who tried to enter the Core Region.

That was also why they were slowly getting more and more hostile as Gabriel reached closer to the Core Region while avoiding most of the natural traps in the Inner Zone.

In the end, all the Shadow Beasts prepared to take action and attack Gabriel.

pĪ±ndĪ±-noĪ½É1,сoŠœ All the Shadow Beasts spread out, slowly surrounding Gabriel.

Even Gabriel felt their auras spreading out. He realized that the beasts were finally ready to attack him.

A terrifying beastly roar resounded in the Shadow Garden that echoed even in the Outer Zone.

Most of the other clan members were still in the Outer Zone. However, they all started trembling as soon as they heard this terrifying roar.

Fortunately, thanks to Gabriel's barrier, Ezil didn't hear anything. Even though she had also felt those auras, before she could feel their killing intent, Gabriel had already cast a barrier.

Even with the beasts surrounding him and offering a warning, Gabriel didn't stop walking.

In the end, the Beasts became even more furious. It was as if they were ready to rip Gabriel to pieces.

However, right then, all the Beasts felt a terrifying aura that even made them hesitate. Moreover, that aura was coming from near them.

While the beasts were still confused, multiple powerful beings came out of the Shadows, shrouded in the auras of death.

Without the next few minutes, the terrifying roars of the Shadow Beasts turned into scared shrieks of fear, as if they were all being killed.

This was the first time they felt fear like that. Usually, in the Shadow Region, only youngsters could enter, and no youngster was able to possess so much strength. This was the first time they came across something like that.

Gabriel heard the pained shrieks, but he didn't react. Instead, it was as if nothing had happened as he continued walking, while the Army of Undead disappeared inside his shadow, as if they had served their purpose.

The Inner Zone was a place that no one had managed to pass through. It was said that the people who managed to return alive from the inner zone had all failed to find a path to the Core Region.

As for the ones who were on the right path, they had all died. However, until now, no one knew exactly how they died.

However, for the first time after a long while, someone had managed to pass through all the traps and survive the Shadow Beasts.

After two long days, Gabriel finally found the entrance of the Core Region of the Shadow Garden.

The Shadow Garden... One of the most Mystical Places in the Northern World that everyone knew about, yet none managed to fully explore.

It was said that this was a forbidden land. However, despite that, the greed of the Major Clans and their arrogance didn't allow them to give up on the treasures that were supposedly inside the Shadow Garden.

Everyone was waiting eagerly outside, to see the results. Most of them were feeling optimistic this time, especially the Skyler Clan.

The Head of the Skyler Clan kept taunting the Stein Clan Head every so often, telling them to leave since this place wasn't for cowards who couldn't even protect their own people.

undefinedHis taunts also worked well in irritating everyone in the Stein Clan. However, they couldn't do much. When it came to brute Strength, the Skyler Clan was much stronger.

On the contrary, the Head of the Skyler Family remained calm, as he occasionally kept glancing toward the Shadow Garden.

Just like the Skyler Clan, he was also very optimistic. If Gabriel could actually get the legacy, and teach them the long lost way to create the Ancient Golems, then they could finally regain their old glory... At least to some extent.

While the family head was lost in thought, Ulesis approached him.

Her head was down and her eyes were full of regret. "I'm sorry. It's all because of me. If I hadn't brought him to the Clan, you never would've trusted him. His betrayal and everything that happened is my fault."

The Stein Family Head turned around, revealing a beautiful smile. He patted the head of his daughter before speaking.

"Reality is often not what it seems. Just wait. I have a feeling that you have something to look forward to..."

He still didn't tell his daughter directly. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he just didn't want to change anything before everything was over.

"I just hope that everything works out..." He further commented, letting out a sigh.

The Inner Zone and the Core Region of the Shadow Garden were separated by a weak barrier.

The barrier couldn't be broken, but it also didn't stop people from entering. However, there was one problem. There were certain limitations on who could enter the Core Region.

Gabriel recognized that when he tried to walk inside with Ezil.

The resistance of the weak barrier was so strong that even he couldn't pass through. It felt as if he was only going to be hurt if he forced his way.

He placed Ezil on the ground next to him.

"There's a barrier ahead of us. This should be the threshold of the Inner Zone. However, it feels impossible to pass through it."

As he spoke, he subconsciously placed his fingers on the barrier. However, strangely enough, as soon as he placed his fingers on it, he felt no resistance at all.

His hand was easily able to pass through. He soon retracted his hand, frowning.

If it was that easy to pass through, then what was that previous resistance?

Ezil also appeared somewhat curious. From this point on, she had no information as to what was ahead. Her clan hadn't managed to reach this place either.

eĪ±glesnį“Ī½el Even if someone did, they probably never returned alive.

She reached out her hand, placing it on the barrier.

She managed to verify Gabriel's statement as she felt the resistance. She pulled her hand back, frowning.

"Is it possible to break this barrier?"

Wondering, she pulled out her heavy sword. Gathering all her strength, she attacked the barrier even though she wasn't able to see anything.

Her Sword landed on the barrier, which managed to create some ripples on the barrier. However, it wasn't enough to break it.

If anything, the barrier reflected most of her attack, sending her flying back as if she was a doll.

Ezil crashed on a distant tree, coughing out a mouthful of blood. The attack that was reflected was even stronger than her own attack. Moreover, since she couldn't see it, and wasn't expecting it, she was taken aback even more.

Gabriel approached her, helping her up. "Are you alright?"

"This barrier is much stronger than I thought. Is there no other way to enter? The Teleportation Formation of the Inner Zone might be the only way to enter the Core Region."

Ezil wiped the blood off her lips, as she stood up.

"There is another way. However, that way only works for me," Gabriel responded.

"What way?"

"That barrier doesn't seem to resist me. The only reason I was stopped previously was because I was carrying you," Gabriel explained. "Finding a small teleportation Formation in this huge place seems impossible. It'll also waste too much time."

"So you want me to stay behind as you go ahead?" Ezil inquired.

"Unless you have another way?" Gabriel asked in return.

From this point on, Ezil also had no information on what they were going to find. Her usefulness had ended when they reached the end of the Inner Zone. There really wasn't any need to take her further.

He wasn't doing charity either. The Legacy was something that he wanted for himself after all.

He thought Ezil would offer some resistance in response.

However, to his surprise, Ezil agreed right away. "Alright. I'll wait here for you."

"Hmm?" Gabriel frowned. "You aren't going to throw any tantrums?"

"Did you think I was a child?" Ezil rolled her eyes. "In any case, I had no interest in the Legacy of this place. My clan has no interest in the Golems. We focus more on our own strength."

"However, don't forget our deal. You owe me a favor later."

"I never agreed to that." Gabriel turned around, letting out laughter. Even though Ezil could end up being his enemy, he quite liked her straightforward personality.

Before Gabriel passed through the barrier, he didn't forget to say one last thing.

"If your favor doesn't make things difficult for me, I'll do it."

The Barrier for the Inner Region was almost impossible for others to pass through. However, for Gabriel, it proved to be very easy.

What was even better was that he had to go in all alone, so he didn't have to worry about always watching over his back. He also had an entire army in his shadow, so it made things even easier for him.

As he ventured deeper into the Core Region, Gabriel noticed the stark contrast between the Inner Zone and the Core Region.

eĪ±glesnovel`c,om In the Inner Region, he could at least see some things. However, as soon as he passed through the barrier, his vision had completely gone blank, as if he had become blind.

undefinedNot only did his vision, but his other senses were also blocked right away. He couldn't smell anything. He couldn't hear anything. He also couldn't feel any touches.

It was as if he had entered into a vacuum, devoid of any sensory inputs. The only thing he was left with was his own thoughts, and the realization that he was still breathing.

The entire place was confusing. He didn't even know where he had to go, or if he was even on the right track.

He couldn't ask for the help of his army, but he knew that it was also useless. If even he couldn't see in this place, then there was no chance that they were going to see.

The only clue he had was that he had to walk straight, or he could be walking in circles without even realizing.

Fortunately, there appeared to be no obstructions in his path.

He didn't know what the terrain of the core region was like. Was it like the inner zone? Or was it different? Was it like a forest, or was it barren? The only thing he knew was that he hadn't fallen yet.

Since he couldn't feel any senses, he couldn't use touch to know what the terrain was.

"Where am I to go?" He asked, only to realize that no words actually came out of his mouth. It was as if he couldn't speak either.

He decided to keep moving forward, hoping that he would eventually find some clues about his location.

As he moved through the unknown void, he began to feel somewhat warm. It was strange for him to feel the warmth since he had lost all his senses. However, that warmth didn't feel scary. Instead, it felt comfortable.

It was as if he was being embraced by that warmth, that kept inviting him closer.

Since the warmth didn't feel threatening, and it was the only clue he had in this land of the unknown, he kept walking closer to the warmth. It was as if that warmth was his only guide in this place.

As he walked towards the warmth, he started to see some light ahead of him. Even though his eyes were still filled with darkness, but he was able to see a blurry source of light.

The light was flickering and it was getting brighter and brighter, and he could hear some faint voices. He couldn't make out what the voices were saying, but the sensation of the warmth and the light was all he needed to move forward.

As he got closer and closer to the light, the voices started getting clearer and he could make out what they were saying.

The voices seemed to be chanting something in a language he could not understand. But the rhythm and melody of the chant enticed him and made him feel more comfortable in this strange place.

He didn't realize yet, since he couldn't properly see, but there were two Ancient Golems standing on both sides of the Source of Light.

As he got closer, the golems noticed him and turned their heads towards him. A shiver went down his spine as he realized that he may not be welcomed in this place.

However, the Golems soon returned to their usual calmness, as if they had no intention of stopping Gabriel.

Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief and continued towards the Source of Light. The closer he got, the brighter and more blinding the light became, until he was standing in front of a massive, glowing orb.

He could barely see the orb, which was the only thing in this vast land of darkness.

He subconsciously reached out his hand toward the orb that seemed to be calling for him.

It was as if the strange familiar feeling in his heart was only getting stronger with each passing second.

As soon as his fingers touched the orb, all his senses returned. He was able to feel and see everything! However, before he could even take notice of hei surroundings, an enormous force pulled him into the orb, and everything went blank.

Gabriel felt weightless and a sense of calm washed over him. After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes to find himself in a vast, lush meadow, surrounded by vibrant trees and flowers he had never seen before.

The air smelled sweet, and the sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow across the landscape. As Gabriel took it all in, he noticed a figure in the distance, making their way towards him.

As the figure approached, Gabriel realized it was a young woman with a warm smile on her face. She greeted him warmly and beckoned him to follow her.

With some hesitation, Gabriel trailed behind her, curious about this strange place he had found himself in.

Together, they walked deeper into the meadow, and Gabriel began to feel a sense of peace he had never known before. It was as if there was some unknown longing inside him for this place.

The young woman led Gabriel to a small, crystal-clear pond in the midst of the meadow. She motioned for him to sit beside her on the soft grass, and they spent several peaceful hours enjoying the beauty of their surroundings.

For some strange reason, the woman didn't say anything. Even Gabriel remained silent.

But the silence didn't feel uncomfortable or awkward, as both of them seemed to have an unspoken understanding. They simply enjoyed the tranquility of the meadow and the company of each other.

Even though it was Gabriel's first time accompanying this woman, but he didn't know why, he felt strangely comfortable next to her. As if he wouldn't have minded even if he had to stay here for an eternity.

It was a moment of serenity that Gabriel would always hold onto, even when he would eventually leave this place.

undefinedUnfortunately, he knew that he couldn't stay at this place. He had to get back! There were things he had to finish! There were loose ends that he had to fix. And there were people that were dear to him that he had to protect.

More importantly, there were people he had to kill.

Gabriel pushed away those dark thoughts and stood up. He took one last look at the peaceful scenery, before turning to the woman.

"Who are you? And where am I?"

The woman raised her beautiful eyes, glancing at Gabriel. Her lips revealed a beautiful yet calming smile.

"You have a similar personality to him..." After a long pause, the woman finally spoke.

Her voice was melodious and beautiful, and it was ethereal. It was as if it was a goddess.

"Who are you talking about?' Gabriel inquired, frowning.

"I'm talking about the one who created all of this," the woman replied, gesturing towards the peaceful surroundings. "The person whose skeleton you seem to be using."

"I knew he died. But I didn't expect that even her remains would be used like this..." She further added, letting out a deep sigh.

Hearing her response, Gabriel was taken aback. He took a few steps back, preparing for a fight.

The woman knew the person who had destroyed the entire Nether Realm with his fight? That meant she wasn't much weaker than him either. Moreover, she seemed to be a friend of his!

Gabriel wasn't sure if she was going to try to kill him because of what they did.

"Don't worry. I can see that you weren't involved in his death," the woman noticed the hesitation on Gabriel's face.

"If you were, I would've already killed you before you even stepped a foot in here."

A look of reminiscence flashed in the girl's eyes as she looked at the pond in the distance. "The person I knew... He's long dead. And then your friend can't bring him back."

eaglesnovɐ1,сoŠœ "My friend?" Gabriel frowned, wondering who she was talking about.

"The one who's listening to our conversation?" The woman asked as her pearly laughter resounded in the surroundings.

In another place, Karyk frowned. He didn't know who that woman was, or why she was able to sense him. However, he could feel that her strength was something even he couldn't understand without being physically present before her.

However, from his initial guess, he had a feeling that she was much stronger than she seemed.

He wanted to keep an eye on her and try to gather more information about her without exposing his presence. Unfortunately, she already knew about him.

"Don't worry. I won't kill the little guy before me. If anything, meeting me might be a blessing for him." The woman spoke. However, her words sounded like they were directed straight toward Karyk.

The woman stood up, gracefully waving her hand.

A terrain of strange energy fluttered in the surrounding while the water in the pond split apart, opening a path that led to the depths at the entrance of an unknown place.

"Come with me."

Karyk hesitated for a moment, but he knew that Gabriel had to follow her if he wanted to get some answers about what happened to the Nether Realm in the past, and who these people were.

Gabriel cautiously followed the woman towards the opening. He stepped down the straight yet old stairs.

Each step creaked beneath his feet, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this place was ancient, older than anything he had ever seen before.

As they descended deeper into the underground, Gabriel spotted strange etchings on the wall that glowed a faint blue, illuminating the passageway.

There were strange markings, depicting some kind of battle. However, the etchings were so old that it was hard to understand them properly.

One thing was certain. He couldn't understand the writing on the wall since it was a completely unknown language. But he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen these symbols before in a dream or some forgotten memory.

It was as if he had some connection with them. Moreover, for some reason, he felt that the symbols and the writing on the wall here was somewhat similar to the strange characters etched on the bones of the ancient skeleton.

The only difference was that these words don't seem to contain any mysterious power. On the other hand, the characters that were carved on the bones appeared to encompass a power beyond measurable.

As they continued further into the dark caverns, Gabriel couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched by ancient, unseen eyes. There appeared to be many ancient traps everywhere, as if they were made so that no one unworthy could enter this place.

Fortunately, since Gabriel was accompanying the blue haired woman, he didn't need to worry about the traps. He could keep marveling at the surroundings as he followed her.

The woman seemed to know her way around the place, leading them deeper into the heart of the underground. Gabriel couldn't help but wonder what kind of secrets this place held and what kind of origin did these people have.

One thing was certain for him. They weren't from the Upper Realm.

At the end, the woman finally stopped before an ancient stone wall. There appears to be no opening in the wall. However, the woman created an aura Sword, that condensed on her fingertips.

Even though it was only a basic use of her abilities, Gabriel could feel the strength from that aura Sword. It felt no weaker than a world tier spell.

The woman then proceeded to make a single precise strike on a specific spot on the wall. A low rumble echoed throughout the chamber as the wall slowly began to shift, revealing a hidden passage.

In another place, Karyk also felt that aura. It was just as he had expected. The woman was at least as strong as him, if not more.

That made him even more curious about the true origin of the Shadow Garden, which contained a mystery like this.

"Did the Founder of the Stein Clan come here as well? Are you taking me to the legacy?' Gabriel asked, slightly frowning.

undefined"Stein Clan? What's that?" The woman asked, seemingly confused.

"Though I do remember a little brat who accidentally ended up here long ago. Since he was kind, I gave him a random book and sent him on his way. Are you talking about him?" she further asked.

"That doesn't seem to be right. You won't be calling that random useless book a legacy. That's nothing more than trash. So who are you talking about?" the woman became even more confused.

However, Gabriel already had his answers by now.

This also made him realize that he was underestimating this place even now. The treasure that was called a legacy by the Stein Family which helped them reign supreme in the Upper Realm was nothing but a random book for this woman.

He didn't know how they were going to react once they found out the truth.

If just a random book from that woman was so powerful, then he was really curious just where this woman was taking him.

"Where are you from?" Gabriel asked, frowning as he walked next to the woman in the long corridor underground.

The woman glanced at him and calmly replied, "I'm from a place that I've long since abandoned."

"And that place is?" He further asked, really curious just where that skeleton came from. Just what was that place? And was it going to become a threat for him in the future?

The woman glanced at him, but didn't say anything. She continued walking.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, but didn't press for more information. He had learned long ago that some things were best left unsaid, especially since she wasn't going to tell him anything.

As they walked in silence, Gabriel thought about what she said. He wondered what kind of place she left behind and what kind of experiences she had. But he knew better than to pry, at least for now.

However, one thing was certain. There was another place above the Upper Realm. And it was something that was connected to the reason that the King of the Upper Realm didn't leave the Central World.

After walking for a long time, protected from all the traps, the woman finally stopped in a chamber which was being guarded by two golems.

However, the golems this time were the size of an ordinary human. They were much smaller than the golems that he had seen outside.

Despite being smaller, the golems appeared much stronger, covered in strange marks all over.

The woman whispered some words and the golems immediately stepped aside, allowing her to enter the chamber. She motioned for Gabriel to follow, and as they entered the room, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The walls were covered in intricate carvings and glowing crystals, illuminating everything in a soft blue light. In the center of the room stood a pedestal and on it rested a singular object that seemed to pulse with a magic of its own. Gabriel couldn't take his eyes off of it.

"That is...?" he asked, frowning.

Even Karyk was frowning, sensing that aura. He hadn't felt anything like that before. It was as if this aura didn't belong anywhere. It was the true darkness of Chaos that could even scare gods!

If anything, this aura somewhat reminded him of the darkness in which he had seen the sword floating in his recent dreams.

But Gabriel's mind was fixated on the object, he couldn't shake off the feeling that it was calling out to him.

"Go ahead. Take it," the woman gestured, telling Gabriel to take the small gem that appeared to be a piece of something much bigger.

Even though it appeared precious, the woman didn't seem to care about it.

Gabriel glanced at the woman, before glancing at the small gem.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was a trap. However, did she really need a trap to hurt him in this place? There were many thoughts in his head, but he had a feeling that if he didn't take this gem, he was going to miss something really important.

So, slowly and carefully, he reached out and grabbed the gem. However, as soon as his fingers touched the gem, he felt an electric current coursing through his body.

A voice appeared in his head, as if trying to take over his body. Karyk also felt the same sensation, as if he was going crazy.

Fortunately, both of them had seen the life of thousands of years. Their minds were much stronger than ordinary people, and even the woman knew that.

While Gabriel was resisting the strange voices in his head, the blue haired woman stepped closer to him, placing her hand over the young man's head.

A serene and comfortable aura shrouded Gabriel.

The voices in his head gradually disappeared, and Gabriel regained control of his body. He looked up at the woman, who seemed to exude an otherworldly charm.

For a moment, he forgot where he was and what they were doing. But then he remembered the urgent matter at hand and stood up.

He looked at the beautiful gem in his hand which was still radiating the same aura.

"What is this?!" he asked the woman. "Why do you want me to have it?!"

"Because this will help you," the woman calmly answered. "Think of it as me paying back his inheritor."

Gabriel couldn't help but frown. It was clear that the woman considered him the inheritor of the person that the skeleton belonged to.

She wasn't quite wrong either. Even though he didn't meet that person when that person was alive, he had his bones inside his body. Gabriel had everything that the person left behind.

If the Blood Clan in the Nether Realm was called the inheritors of the Blood Monarch, then it made sense that he was called the Inheritor of that person.

"What does this gem do?" Gabriel inquired, keeping the small piece of stone safely in his storage.

undefinedThe woman only smiled in response. "You'll find out when the time comes."

As she finished, she turned around and started going back. "It's time for you to leave..."

"Wait, I have more questions!" Gabriel exclaimed. "Who is that person? Why was he fighting the Blood Monarch? And many more!'

Unfortunately, his voice only seemed to fall on deaf ears as the surroundings started turning blurry. He only saw the woman waving her hand, without looking back.

After a few seconds, Gabriel felt his body sucked into the void.

He appeared back in the Shadow Garden. However, one thing was different now. He was able to see clearly even when he was at the core of the shadow garden!

Moreover, all his senses had returned! Even though everything felt like a dream at the moment, but he knew that it was real, since he could still see the ring in his storage.

The small orb that transported him to that place was also before him. Moreover, next to the orb, there were two old books.

Gabriel picked up one of the two books, realizing that it was about the Golems! This was an even more advanced version than what was given to the Stein Clan Patriarch.

It contained all the information that he had received. However, it also contained more. The book contained information about humanoid golems that were one tier above the Ancient Golems.

As for the second book, he didn't know why he was given that book. However, the second book appeared to be a story book.

It was as if some fictional stories were written on them. However, Gabriel was careful about it, since there was a good chance that they weren't stories but the truth.

He picked up both of the books and kept them in his storage, before trying to pick up the teleportation orb.

Unfortunately, no matter what he tried, he wasn't able to pick up the orb, as if it was impossible to move it from its place.

Frustrated, Gabriel could only give in. There appeared to be no way to take the orb with him.

In the end, he could just leave like that. He had achieved everything he came here for! If anything, he had achieved even more!

Now that he was able to see clearly, he was quite amazed on his way back. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, with lush greenery and colorful flowers surrounding him. The place truly looked like a wonder of this world.

If anything, this was the most beautiful place in the entire world that he had seen in this life.

As he walked through the path, he couldn't help but wonder just how many things were in this world that were unknown to him even now.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was involved in more things that he knew about at the moment.

After taking a walk around the Core Zone of the Shadow Garden to make sure that he didn't miss anything, he stepped out of the Core Zone.

Now his vision had completely been restored. It wasn't the same for the woman from the Nether Dragon Clan since she still couldn't see anything.

She could be seen sitting with her back resting against a tree, as if waiting for someone.

As soon as she heard some footsteps in the distance, she raised her eyes.

"Did you succeed?" she asked as she stood up. Even though she opened her eyes, facing him, her vision was completely dark.

"I didn't. I barely survived and returned. There appear to be some living beings inside, with quite a powerful aura. If I'm not wrong, they're as strong as the Beast Monarchs."

Gabriel didn't bother telling her the truth. She wasn't really his friend or his family member after all.

Moreover, giving her information was partially the same as giving the information to almost everyone in the Upper Realm.

She probably wasn't going to hide this from her family. And in return, her family might leak this information.

The Stein Clan and the Northern Dragon Clan used to be two strongest clans once upon a time.

As the Stein Clan fell, the Northern Dragon Clan didn't intervene. No matter how many excuses they gave, it was clear to Gabriel that the Dragon Clan wanted to see the fall of the Stein Clan in the first place, which made them the strongest clan that couldn't be threatened by anyone.

It was clear what the Northern Dragon Clan was going to do once they knew that the Stein Clan had a chance of recovery!

They were going to stay out of it, maintaining their righteous image. However, at the same time, they were going to use other clans as pawns to destroy the Stein Clan.

Even if no one went after the Stein Clan, their own life was going to be in danger, more than it already was.

"Without my vision and senses, I couldn't even think about lasting a minute against them. Fortunately, it appeared as if they were just giving me a warning. So I was allowed to return."

Gabriel didn't stutter even the least when lying openly.

"No wonder that no one had managed to succeed in retrieving the Legacy. It's impossible!" He further stated, letting out a tired sigh.

After that, he once again picked up the woman in his arms. She was his witness... The witness of his so-called failure. So he wanted to take her back.

Back in the unknown realm, the blue haired woman was once again sitting next to the pond, gazing at the water.

"Your fall is near... So called Guardian of the Throne... Janusā€¦"

While Gabriel was on his way back, he soon reached the Outer Zone of the Shadow Garden.

On the way back, he came across other teams as well. However, none of them could see him on the way, which granted him an additional advantage.

Along the way, he killed almost everyone from other Clans. If anything, he intentionally found people to take them out. They had seen him destroy the Skyler Clan and he didn't want a headache.

It was also because of that, he also thought about killing the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan, but in the end, he didn't. She was supposed to be his witness that he didn't find anything.

undefinedMoreover, she also wanted him to do her a favor. That made him believe that she probably wasn't going to betray him as soon as they came out. And even if she tried to betray them, he could still protect himself now that Karyk sent him help.

Gabriel soon reached the Outer Zone of the Shadow Garden and placed the girl down. From here on, there were no restrictions on her vision. She could freely move around.

The girl landed on her feet, feeling somewhat relieved that she was able to see again. However, she was quite disappointed that she wasn't able to enter the core region of the Shadow Garden.

She was really curious why Gabriel was the only one who was able to enter that place. Why did the barrier stop her, and not Gabriel? Somewhere deep inside, she was also thinking if Gabriel had lied to her about not finding anything inside.

Unfortunately, she had no way to find the truth. She wasn't even sure if she could defeat him or not. And even if she had an overpowering strength that was able to defeat him, could still be able to stop him if he wanted to escape?

Killing a person was much easier than stopping them. In the end, she knew it wasn't easy.

As for the legacy, she really didn't care about it much. The legacy was useless for her clan. However, her clan still wanted to know who received that legacy, if any, because that could change the landscape of the entire Northern Realm.

"What are you thinking about?" Gabriel asked, walking in the lead. He didn't even need to look back to know that the girl was lost in some thought.

"I'm just pondering about the legacy," she replied, still lost in thought. "It's strange that someone would go to such lengths to ensure no one found it."

Gabriel slowed his pace, giving her a curious glance. "Perhaps it contains something valuable or dangerous."

"Maybe," she said, shrugging. "But I really wonder who that legacy belongs to. Where did it come from?"

"There are some mysteries in the world that are almost impossible to resolve. It's better if you stop thinking about it," Gabriel replied, shaking his head lightly.

Even he didn't know the exact reality behind this legacy, even after receiving it. What was that small gem that he received from that mysterious place? Who exactly was that woman? What did she want from him? There were so many questions in his head.

If even he wasn't sure about the reality, he was convinced that the woman had no chance of finding the truth.

If there was one person in the Upper Realm who knew the truth, then it was probably the King of the Upper Realm. The reason he never came to the Shadow Garden was probably because he knew something that the others didn't.

'I need to solve this mess as soon as possible...'

In another place in the Northern World, there existed a black market.

It was a place where many artifacts were sold, without the information. No one knew just who owned this place, but one thing was certain. The Black Market was strong.

Even though it dealt in some shady stuff, the Generals didn't bother with it. There were also some rumors that the person who ran the Black Market was close to the Northern General.

Since the Northern Realm was the richest, many artifacts from the other worlds that were discovered by various people ended up in the Northern World, to be sold here.

Today, one such artifact was brought to the Black Market, which came straight from. The Southern Realm.

The seller claimed that the artifact was mysterious. It didn't look much out of ordinary, but it was the only artifact that was left in the place which was completely destroyed by a mysterious force.

In that place, everyone was killed and everything was destroyed. However, only that one statue was left intact.

Almost no one knew just what was special about that strange statue. However, whoever glanced at it once, found it hard to take their eyes off.

It was also said that the statue was connected to the new Disciple of the Four Generals. It was found where that disciple's clan used to be.

The statue was brought to the Owner of the Black Market, who personally came to see it and decide its value.

The Owner of the Black Market had covered his face with a black mask. However, his eyes revealed astonishment at the statue's intricate design and rare materials.

It didn't appear to be something that belonged to this world. It was his first time seeing these materials after all.

The statue appeared fragile, as if it was going to break by just a light touch. However, at the same time, it seemed unbreakable, as if even if the world was destroyed, this statue was going to remain intact.

The Black Market owner knew that it would fetch a high price from collectors around the world. This was probably the most expensive and mysterious item that he had received.

However, for some reason, his eyes revealed greed. It was as if he didn't want to sell this at all. He wanted to keep it... Keep it for himself.

There was some mysterious voice calling out to him, within the statue, as if slowly eroding his mind.

"How much should we set the price for it?" A chubby middle aged man asked the masked person next to him.

The masked man didn't react, as if he was in a momentary daze, just staring at the mysterious demonic statue.

"I'll take it with me." In the end, he spoke, sealing the statue safely inside a wooden box, before picking up the box himself.

The chubby man watched as the masked man left, wondering just what happened. Previously, the owner never really took interest in anything, no matter how precious it was. However, now that they received this strange item, not only did he personally come, but he was also taking it back with him?

undefinedThe chubby man couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that lingered in the room even after the masked man left.

He decided that it was better to stay away from anything demonic from now on, but little did he know, the statue was not the only ominous thing that arrived at his doorstep.

Gabriel finally stepped out of the Shadow Garden, right before everyone's eyes.

There was only one way out of the Shadow Garden after all, where everyone was waiting for him.

The man from the Skyler Clan revealed a frown, since Gabriel was out so soon. That much time wasn't enough for the youngsters to even get to the Core Region, let alone receiving the legacy.

He couldn't help but wonder if Gabriel became scared after entering, and ran back.

The other clans were also snickering, watching Gabriel back so soon.

"And that's what happens when one talks big without having any skills. They run out, before things start getting hard." One person said out loud.

The Skyler Clan Head stepped closer to Gabriel, a frown covering his face.

"Where are the others? Why are you back alone?" he asked. If Gabriel actually ran away, then it was too cowardly.

But Gabriel stood straight, his expression serious. "They are all inside."

"Then why are you back?!" The man further asked, frowning.

He next glanced at the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan who was next to Gabriel. It was even more weird that she was also back so soon.

He didn't know why, but something felt ominous.

The other clans also started paying attention to him as well. The more they thought about it, the weirder it appeared, especially thanks to the person he was accompanying.

"The two of us fell into a trap. The next thing we knew, we were out of the Shadow Garden, in front of you," Gabriel had already thought of an excuse.

He couldn't say he abandoned others, since that was an unnecessary headache. At the same time, he also couldn't say that the others were dead and that's why he came out.

The only way left was to make it seem like an accident.

The woman from the Northern Dragon Clan also revealed a look of agreement, along with some frustration, as if she was furious that she had fallen into a trap like that.

"There's a trap like that inside? I never knew." The Skyler Clan Head frowned, but he couldn't find a flaw in their words.

The Shadow Garden was a mysterious place. And no one knew exactly how many or what kind of traps there were inside that place.

It was said that there were many traps that hadn't been activated in thousands of years, and no one knew what they did.

If it was Gabriel alone, they could've still doubted his words, but there was the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan, who didn't have a reason to lie.

"What are you doing then? Go back inside and help them!" The middle aged man further exclaimed.

However, to his surprise, Gabriel simply shook his head.

"I've already fallen far behind. Catching up to them is impossible. By the time I reach the same place where I fell into the trap, the others might be out already."

"Do you think I care? Drag your ass back inside! Do you think I paid trash like you to loiter around?" The Clan Head roared, getting even more angry that a young man was talking back to him.

Gabriel only smiled in response. "I'm not your servant. The only reason I was paid was to betray the Stein Clan. You haven't paid me anything to work for you like a servant. And even if you could, I doubt you'll be able to afford me."

He wanted to avoid any confrontation. That's why he lied about what happened inside the Shadow Garden. However, that didn't mean he was scared of confrontation.

The middle aged man's eyes widened to hear Gabriel's response. The young man didn't reveal a trace of fear in his eyes. He didn't know if Gabriel was too brave, or he was just too stupid to not realize when he was standing at the doors of death.

"Yo-" the man tried speaking. However, he stopped before he could even finish his words.

His expressions changed, turning much darker. Not only him, but almost everyone else in that place revealed a stunned expression, as multiple powerful auras seem to be getting closer to them.

The powerful auras were no weaker than them. If anything, they were only stronger. They were the auras of the Beast Overlords.

The Beast Overlords usually didn't make a move at all. However, to everyone's surprise, they were actually on the move this time?

All the clans felt as if they were in danger. They all prepared for battle. Even the Skyler Clan completely forgot about Gabriel for the time being, focusing more on the incoming danger.

The Beast Overlords were notorious for their ruthlessness and destructive power. The clans knew that they had to put aside their differences and unite if they were to have any chance of survival.

Even though they still didn't know what they did wrong to attract the Beast Overlords this time, but no matter what, if they wanted to make it out of this place alive, they had to fight back when needed.

Even Gabriel could clearly feel that aura. He took a few steps back, frowning. He already intended to meet the Beast Overlords. However, to find out that they were instead coming here to him, it was somewhat surprising.

But he knew he had to be prepared for whatever was to come. Gabriel took a deep breath and focused his energy, ready to face the Beast Overlords if needed.

He was even prepared to escape if it was needed. However, for some reason, he had a feeling that this wasn't all bad, especially since he still couldn't feel any hostility at all.

It was just that the aura of these Beasts was so strong that it was intimidating.

undefinedMost of the people in this place couldn't leave since they had to wait for the youngsters inside the Shadow Garden to come out first.

The Stein Clan was different. They had no burden and they were already on their ships. They could leave at any time.

A mental transmission fell in Gabriel's ears, coming from the Stein Clan Head, who told him to sneak inside their ship while everyone was distracted, so they could leave this place.

Gabriel couldn't help but glance in the direction of the Stein Clan Ship. He could still see many hostile gazes. However, the Stein Family Head was still telling him to leave with him, before the Beast Overlords arrived to this place.

Unfortunately for him, Gabriel didn't want to leave yet. He had to meet the Beast Overlords first.

"You all leave. I still have something I need to finish. I'll return to the Clan as soon as I'm done."

The Stein family head frowned, not understanding why Gabriel was being so foolish. It was the only opportunity they had to escape. He tried once again, but Gabriel kept ignoring him.

Because of that, he couldn't leave either. The middle aged man didn't know if Gabriel managed to recover the Inheritance or not, but he had a feeling that the young man had succeeded.

'Argh, At least give the legacy to us! We'll keep it safe!' the man further stated, as the ship started rising in the air.

Gabriel couldn't help but smile in amusement. These guys were still so focused on the legacy, even in a situation like this.

But he knew that their pursuit of the legacy would never end. He also had no interest in giving the Book to them, since it was more advanced than anything they ever knew. If anything, to thank them, he was willing to share some knowledge about the Ancient Golems that could help them. But not yet.

"I don't have the Legacy yet," Gabriel replied to the middle aged man. "That's why I need to stay here. There's a chance that I might get it. However, that'll depend on luck."

"So you all should leave. If I find it or not, I'll come to the Stein Clan personally."

The middle aged man had no choice. He could only nod understandingly.

He signaled to his companions to leave. The longer he stayed, the more dangerous it could be. As for Gabriel, he had a feeling that the young man had skills needed to protect himself.

Gabriel watched the ship rise, and the Stein Clan departed until they were out of sight.

The other clans kept cursing the Stein Family for being so cowardly that they were escaping. However, at the same time, they all knew that they would've done the same thing if they didn't have to stay behind!

Unfortunately, something happened that surprised all of them.

The Stein Clan Ship hadn't traveled far, when a terrifying aura descended on the ship.

A mythical creature with angel-like wings appeared before the Stein Clan Ship, as if blocking their path.

The person appeared somewhat of a human, but now quite. He had the body of a human, but instead of hands, he had eagle-like claws.

The aura around that man was something that could make many low ranking members of the Stein Clan feint at his sight.

The creature spoke in a booming voice, "Turn back! No one is leaving!"

The Stein Family Head frowned. However, he could also feel other auras nearby. If there was a fight, then this wasn't good for them at all.

He decided to play it smart and calmly replied, "We mean no harm. We only wish to pass. Is there any way we can come to a peaceful agreement?"

"Return where you were! No one shall leave!" The winged creature spoke, as he raised his hand.

He brought a single finger down, creating an arc of dark energy that shot straight toward the ship. It was so strong that it could destroy the ship easily.

Fortunately, the dark energy didn't hit the ship, and just flew past it!

The arc of dark energy hit the mountain in the distance, splitting an entire mountain in two halves.

Ulesis looked at the destroyed mountain in the distance, stunned.

"This is the strength of a Beast Overlord?" She frowned.

It was clear that this guy alone could destroy their ship, let alone if the other Overlords joined.

They had no choice but to listen to them and turn around. In any case, if they wanted to kill them, they could've already done that.

The Stein Clan Ship that had almost managed to leave the Beast Region turned around, returning toward the Shadow Garden.

However, this time, the Beast Overlord flew next to them.

The Stein Family Ship landed at the same place from where they had left. However, this time, all their faces looked down.

The other clans were enjoying the scene with amused glances. However, they also knew that this wasn't the time to enjoy, as one of the Beast Overlords had arrived with the ship, and others were on the way.

The Eagle-like Beast Overlord glanced at everyone present there, but he particularly focused on the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan. He also glanced at Gabriel, looking at him carefully. A look of intrigue flashed in his eyes.

Most of the Clans had gathered together, with the Heads of the Clans standing in the lead.

Since only the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan was here, the Head of the Second Strongest Clan took the lead.

"May I ask why you're interfering this time?"

"Interfering?" The Beast Overlord laughed. "So what if we are?"

undefinedFrom his words, it was clear that his arrogance and confidence knew no bounds.

The Head of the Second Strongest Clan narrowed his eyes. "I believe we have the right to know. This concerns the safety of our Clans and our people. And it might even lead to a war with the Beast Region!"

The Beast Overlord smirked. "War? You mean to say that we should be scared of you? You aren't worth our attention."

"On the contrary..." He took a careful glance at Gabriel, but didn't continue.

The silence that followed his remark was deafening. The Heads of the Clans also noticed the Beast Overlord's glance toward Gabriel.

"Did this little brat offend you somehow? Is that why you're here?" The Skyler Clan Master asked, taking a subtle guess.

Usually, the Beast Overlords were too lazy to get involved with humans, at least until they were offended.

In response, the Beast Overlord remained quiet, staring blankly ahead. Not even the slightest hint of emotion crossed his features. It made everyone in the place uneasy.

However, they knew that this possibility made sense. Since so many Beast Overlords had moved, it was clear that they were offended.

"If he did something wrong, you can have him! If anything, I'll help you kill that little brat myself!"

The Skyler Clan Head frowned. He disappeared from his place, and the next moment he appeared right before Gabriel, swinging his hand.

Gabriel wasn't expecting it, but he still was prepared to reach. However, before he could even react, he felt a familiar scent again.

It was the aura that he felt when he had just entered the Beast Region.

The attack of the Skyler Clan Head was lost, as a hand was grabbing onto the wrist of the middle aged man.

Before Gabriel, another person had appeared. The person wasn't a human either, as it had lion-like features all over his body. However, his strength was easy to sense.

The Skyler Clan Head couldn't even free his wrist from the grasp of the Beast Overlord, who only used a single hand to stop the man.

In his other hand, the Beast Overlord was carrying a jar filled with wine. He took another sip of the wine, relishing the taste before lazily glancing at the middle aged man before you.

The Beast Overlord spoke in a deep and raspy voice. "I was hoping for a bit more strength behind that attack..."

Despite his arrogant tone, the Clan Head could sense an immense power emitting from the beast's body, and knew that fighting him would be suicide.

The Beast Overlord could only shake his head in disappointment. He reached out his hand, extending the jar of wine toward Gabriel.

Gabriel frowned, but he still took the Jar of Wine, as if holding it for a little time.

Now that the Beast Overlord had his hand free, he brought his fingers closer to the Skyler Clan's head, flicking his finger lightly.

Boom ~

A loud boom resounded in the place, and Gabriel could feel the ground shake beneath him. The flick from the Beast Overlord had caused an explosion, and as the dust settled, Gabriel was quite surprised by what he saw.

The Skyler Clan Head had flown back, uncontrollably, crashing on multiple trees in the back.

Despite the impact, the Skyler Clan Head managed to get up, shaking off the debris from his clothing. However, he couldn't hide his pale face as he rubbed his chest.

The Beast Overlord, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, his expression impassive as he surveyed the scene before him.

One after another, more and more Beast Overlords arrived. Within minutes, everyone was surrounded by close to seven Beast Overlords.

The being with lion-like features glanced back at Gabriel, taking the jar of wine back. He took another sip.

"What do you all want?" The Clan Head of the Second Strongest Clan frowned. "Do you really want to fight to death?!"

"Fight to Death?" One of the Beast Overlords frowned. "You aren't worthy!"

"We're here to invite someone to be our guests for a few days. If you want to stop us, we won't mind having some fun." Another Beast Overlord laughed.

It was clear that all the Beast Overlords were observing Gabriel carefully with great interest.

"You are coming with us." The Lion-like being told Gabriel, patting the young man's shoulders.

Gabriel didn't hesitate in agreeing. That's what he wanted in the first place. He had a feeling that this Beast Forest was related to the mysterious woman that he saw.

The woman didn't tell him much about the being that the skeleton belonged to. However, he had a feeling that he could get the answers from the Beast Overlords.

In any case, if they wanted to kill him, it wasn't going to make a difference if he fought them now or later, so it was the same even if he accompanied them. This was also the advice that he had received from Karyk.

Right before everyone's surprised glance, Gabriel walked away with the Seven Beast Overlords.

The Clans that had prepared for a war were stunned. This was all? The Beast Overlords moved for Gabriel? They couldn't understand just what was so special about Gabriel that he received so much attention.

The Skyler Clan glared at Gabriel's back with some hatred in his eyes. On the other hand, the Stein Clan people also showed some apprehensions.

No one knew just what was going to happen to Gabriel. They weren't certain if the Beast Clans were going to treat him as a friend or as an enemy to be killed. However, the chances of it being the latter was unlikely.

Some even thought that Gabriel had received something special inside the Shadow Garden which brought their attention.

Even the woman from the Northern Dragon Clan was frowning.

And various clans were uncertain about Gabriel's future. Even though they were quite curious, most of them considered him dead in any case.

They focused more on the people who were still inside the Shadow Garden.

While the other clans waited, the Stein Clan finally departed from the Beast Region.

It was only when they came out of the Beast Region that the Patriarch of the Stein Clan called out the meeting of Various Elders.

undefinedThe meeting was attended by his daughter as well. It was in this meeting that the Patriarch told the truth about Gabriel to everyone.

He told everyone that whatever Gabriel did, was a part of their plan, including their fight.

His words were enough to stun everyone. Many people complained about why they weren't told about such an important thing.

On the other hand, Ulesis was in disbelief. She didn't know why, but she felt angry at her father, while also feeling happy that Gabriel hadn't betrayed them. It meant she hadn't trusted the wrong people.

The Patriarch of the Stein Clan didn't give any explanations. He just told the Elders to remember it, so that they didn't offend Gabriel since he had told him that he was going to get to their clan later.

"Do you think he can even return alive? Should we have tried to help him?" One of the Elders asked.

"Don't worry. I don't think he's a person who will die so easily. Also, the Beasts didn't look like they meant him any harm. He will return... And maybe with a great surprise that will shake the entire Northern World."

"But until then, we have no choice but to trust Gabriel's words and wait for his return." The leader of the clan said with a reassuring tone.

The Elders nodded in agreement, knowing that Gabriel was someone that they couldn't underestimate. They could only hope for his safe return and whatever surprise he may bring.

Back in the Beast Region, Gabriel was walking next to the Beast Overlords.

None of them spoke anything for quite some time. Even Gabriel didn't ask anything. If anything, he focused more on the strange aura in his surroundings that felt very comfortable.

He also observed the Beast Overlords. It was impossible to judge how old they were. Howev, one thing was certain. They were strong... Strong enough to be a serious threat to the entire Upper Realm.

"You look like you have a lot of questions." The Beast Overlord, having Lion's features asked, as he continued drinking the wine in his hand. However, for some reason, Gabriel could smell the scent of blood from the jar of wine.

"What do you want from me?" Gabriel asked after a long time. "I am weak, compared to you all. If you want, you can leave this place, and take over the entire Upper Realm. So why did you look for me?"

"Leave this place?" The Beast Overlords laughed. "There is no way we would've lived here if we could leave."

Gabriel frowned. The Beast Overlords couldn't leave? Why? He hadn't sensed any seal when he came here. So why couldn't they leave?

"Is it because you're scared of the King of the Upper Realm?" Gabriel asked.

All the Beast Overlords stopped in their tracks, before gazing at Gabriel. However, before long, they all burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, scared of that little brat?"

"Hahaha, we're not that pathetic!"

"It's been so long since I laughed this much! Scared of that guy! Hahaha!'

All the Beast Overlords burst into laughter, as if they had heard the funniest thing in their entire life.

From their words, it didn't look like they even took the King of Upper Realm seriously at all.

"In the grand scheme of things, that guy is nothing but an ant!" One of the Beast Overlords let out a sigh. "The reason why we don't leave is because of something else."

"What?" Gabriel inquired, having a feeling that it was related to the skeleton he possessed and the Monarch of Blood that destroyed the Nether Realm.

One of the Beast Overlords looked up, glancing at the shadowy sky.

"Before we tell you anything, you need to answer us. Why do we feel the aura of the God Beast coming from you? And it's not an aura that contains any hostility for you. So why?" One of the Beast Overlords asked.

This was the only thing they were curious about, at least for now. That's the whole reason they moved in the first place.

"Before I tell you anything, I want an answer as well." Gabriel didn't answer directly. He still didn't know if he could trust them entirely.

"Ask."

"Do you know the woman inside the Shadow Garden?" Gabriel inquired.

"Woman inside the shadow garden? So you even met her?" All the Beast Lords revealed some surprise, as they looked at each other.

"If he's still alive even after meeting her, that means she approves of him."

"That's surprising. No wonder I felt her aura on him. I thought it was my misconception. So he really did meet her."

All the Beast Overlords started talking amongst themselves, leaving Gabriel confused.

He wondered who this woman in the shadow garden could be and why meeting her was such a big deal for them.

As he waited for them to finish discussing, he couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue and curiosity about the mysterious woman. However, he knew better than to pry and patiently waited for them to include him in the conversation again.

"You asked us who she is?" After a long time, the Beast Overlords stopped and started paying attention to Gabriel again.

Gabriel nodded in response.

After a brief pause, one of the Beast Overlords replied, "She's the only one who survived the onslaught of Chaos and Janus... And managed to escape."

"Chaos and Janus?" Gabriel frowned. He didn't know why, but he felt some familiarity with those names. However, he didn't know why. The names themselves seemed to contain some special power.

"Who are they?" he further asked.

"The ones who destroyed everything..." The Beast Overlord commented, letting out a tired sigh.

Gabriel had no idea what this meant. However, it was clear that whoever these guys were talking about had strength beyond his comprehension.

"Did they trap you here?" Gabriel asked. This was the only thing that made sense.

The Beast Overlords shook their heads lightly. "We aren't sealed here. We are simply using this place to hide and survive. Funny, isn't it?"

undefined"The so-called Beast Overlords that the entire Upper World is concerned about are nothing more than prisoners of their own fear?" The Beast Overlord continued.

"Is this the reason why you don't attack humans who enter here, unless you're attacked first?" Gabriel inquired.

In response, the Beast Overlords maintained their silence.

After some time, one of them continued. "We just don't want to fight. It's a waste of our time. Also, we are too lazy to bother with the people in this world. However, you aren't in a different boat either."

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked, not grasping completely what they were trying to say.

"Since she didn't kill you, that means she has accepted you as that person's heir. That also means you... You have become a part of this fight as well, whether you like it or not. Sooner or later, you'll start attracting their attention. What will you do at that time?'

"Chaos had been sealed forever during that war, but Janus... He still guards the throne for his nephew. When he finds out about you, do you think he'll let you be?"

Gabriel didn't know why, but he couldn't understand anything that these people were saying. It was as if they were talking about something that he had no inkling about.

Who was Janus? Which throne were they talking about? Why were they being hunted? There were so many questions in his head. He hadn't even finished dealing with his own matters yet, and there were already more headaches?

"You still don't get it, right?" The man smiled. "Don't worry. The reason we brought you with us was to see a few things for ourselves, and to tell you the reality that you might not know yet."

The Beast Overlords brought Gabriel to the tree that was the tallest in the entire Beast Region. The aura around the tree was as pure as it was near the pond where Gabriel had met that mysterious woman.

All the Beast Overlords sat near the tree, which was marked with mysterious patterns.

"Do you know about the War of Gods?" One of them asked.

"The War between the Upper Realm and the Nether Realm?" Gabriel took a guess, replying.

All the Beast Overlords looked at each other blankly before bursting into laughter.

"That isn't even close to what we're talking about. We're talking about the War of True Gods that have existed since the beginning of time..."

Gabriel didn't respond. He only shook his head lightly.

In another place, even Karyk was curious about what he was going to hear. He had a feeling that this had something to do with the reason the King of the Upper Realm didn't leave the Central World.

"I'll tell you." The Eagle-like Beast Overlord commented, shaking his head lightly.

The other Beast Overlords revealed lazy glances. However, they still listened.

"A long time ago, there existed the Realm of Gods that governed the entire universe. It was a peaceful place. However, there was one person there who was greedy for even more strength..."

"His name was Chaos... The only God who was born without any powers..."

As the Beast Overlord spoke, Gabriel started paying even more attention. Everytime he heard that name, he felt a strange feeling rise deep within. It was even worse for Karyk. This strange feeling was uncomfortable.

The Beast Overlord continued, "Chaos was jealous of the other gods and wanted to become the ruler of the realm. So, he started to plot and scheme to gain more power."

"He did something that no one had expected, borrowing the strength of the Dark Realm. He created an item that contained a trace of every god's power."

"However, he couldn't keep it a secret. Just as he was about to complete that item, this news spread. All the gods joined and attacked Chaos."

"In the end, Chaos couldn't avoid that fate, and was killed at the hands of his brother, but not before he killed half the gods in the Realm of Gods!"

"None of the gods could use the Item that Chaos had created. Nor could they destroy it completely with their strength. That's why, they broke the item into multiple pieces, and hid those pieces in different parts of the universe."

"The woman that you saw before... She was one of the Major Gods that took part in that War. And the Skeleton that you possess... It also belongs to one of the Leaders of that War... That started this crusade against Chaos..."

"Chaos was killed? Why did you say that he was sealed then?" Gabriel asked, realizing that something didn't make sense.

Another Beast Overlord continued from this point on, "We all thought that he was killed. However, that wasn't it. No one knew at that time, but this was all part of Chaos' plan. While we all thought that he was dead, he had reincarnated into a small mortal world, called Earth..."

"And the person who helped him achieve that was none other than the so-called brother who killed him, Janus!"

"Avoiding the attention of gods, he gathered his strength on Earth, finding the fragments of his item, and recovering his strength before he attacked the Realm of Gods!"

"The day he returned was the day of Carnage, where he destroyed everyone who stood in his Path. Fortunately, someone came to stop him... An Ancient God, who was the Ruler of the Realm of Gods."

"He used the last of his strength to seal Chaos to protect this world. However, he was also sealed at the same time. Both of them were sealed in a Sword, disappearing forever."

"However, that wasn't the end. Even though Chaos was gone, the destruction he caused left the Realm of Gods in shambles. Only a few gods had managed to escape. And they were also hunted by Janus."

"Almost no one survived, except the woman you saw! And now you're one of us as well. He won't let you escape when he finds out about you!"

Everything that Gabriel heard here came out of nowhere. There were even more powerful people out to kill him? But that didn't make sense either. He had been roaming freely. If they wanted him dead, why didn't they find him yet?

Moreover, if this was all because of the skeleton he possessed, didn't that mean that Karyk didn't have to worry about that? In other words, each of them had a mess of their own.

There was another question in his mind. Was everything that the Beast Overlords said the truth? What if there were lies mixed in between? What if the entire story was twisted? He didn't blindly believe everything yet.

No matter what, he didn't want to be used as a puppet for others.

undefined"So this Janus... He is the strongest person in the whole universe?" Gabriel asked, frowning.

Since even the Beast Overlords and that woman were scared of Janus, that meant his strength was beyond measure. He was the brother of Chaos after all.

While Gabriel was focusing on Janus, Karyk had a different question in his head.

The Beast Overlords said that Chaos and the Ancient God were trapped in a sword at the end of the war. No one knew where that sword was. If they knew, Janus would've already found that sword to free his brother.

Karyk couldn't help but remember his recent dream, where he saw a Sword floating in an unknown dark space. He couldn't help but wonder, if that was the sword!

But if that was really that sword, then why did he see that Sword? If it was because of Gabriel's skeleton, then only he should've seen that.

However, Karyk saw the same, which made him feel that it had nothing to do with the Skeleton. If anything, it had something to do with both of them. But what was that?

"Strongest? There's one more person... Possibly even stronger than Janus... Living on Earth where Chaos had reincarnated..." The Beast Monarch spoke. "According to the Empress, his name is... Ryder."

"Father, I had something to talk about..." A young man, in his early twenties, stepped inside a room.

"Uncle Janus is here as well?" The young man glanced at a white haired young boy, who looked like a young boy. However, he knew by now that the young boy was much older than the earth itself.

Janus smiled. "I just came to meet my nephew... If only that little brat was like you as well... I would've had nothing to worry about."

Next to the white haired boy called Janus, there was a man, who looked like he was in his late twenties.

Just looking at him, no one could've guessed that he was the father of the young man who had just entered the room. Even though the man had no trace of aura inside him, but his strength was something that even Janus couldn't compare to. He was called Ryder Flynn.

Despite possessing such strength, the man lived an ordinary life on the modern earth.

"You two talk. I'll be leaving. I have something else to handle..." Janus laughed, waving his hand. A void opened up before him.

"Are you going to find the young man who carries Chaos' aura?" Ryder glanced back at Janus, inquiring.

"Not yet. First, I need to take care of something else. I might've found some clues for my brother's Sword. I need to check if the clues are valid or not... After that..."

He entered the void, disappearing before he could even finish the sentence.

The void closed behind him.

"I think you should stay in the Beast Region for a little. Learn how to use the strength that you've inherited. That will definitely help you. It's much safer here..."

The Beast Overlords tried their best to keep Gabriel here. If anything, they were even willing to be Gabriel's teacher and teach him various things that could help him.

Unfortunately for them, Gabriel didn't appear interested. He didn't want to live his life in the forest, afraid of the unknown that he wasn't even sure about existed.

He only came here because he wanted to know about the history of that woman and his inheritance. However, now that he found out about such a complicated history, he felt it was only going to get worse if he stayed here.

In any case, he could always return here in the future.

He told the Beast Overlords that he wasn't going to stay there. He had other things to do as well. However, he wasn't in a hurry to leave either.

He still needed a safe place to go through the two books that he had received from the Shadow Garden. He wanted to understand everything he could, and if possible, become stronger.

A week passed. The Heads of all the Major Clans remained at the entrance of the Shadow Region. However, to everyone's surprise, even after all this time, no one else came out.

The only two people who came out were Gabriel and the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan. After that, it was completely silent.

Soon, one week's deadline hit and the Shadow Garden entrance finally closed on its own. The time was over.

All the youngsters were informed about the deadline, by which they were to leave. However, to the surprise of various clans, not a single youngster came out.

Something like this had never happened in the past. Even though none of the clans succeeded in the past, at least there were always a few people who had managed to come out. However, this time, there was not a single person.

All the Heads of the various clans couldn't help but look at each other, realizing that something was wrong. For some reason, they all doubted Gabriel, who was the first person to return.

Initially, they didn't think about this. But now, they were starting to wonder. Was it possible that Gabriel found the inheritance and killed everyone else with the help of that girl from the Northern Dragon Clan?

As all the clans thought up to this point, their faces started turning darker.

They started to put the pieces together. The reason the Beast Overlords came to take Gabriel... They all thought that it was because Gabriel had found the inheritance of the Shadow Garden, which made them even more alert.

The Beast Overlords were already very strong. But if they received the Inheritance of the Shadow Garden, they were going to get even stronger. They could become even more of a threat for the Upper Realm.

"We need to go to the Northern Dragon Clan! If that brat really has the inheritance, then we can't let it be!" The Skyler Clan Head exclaimed.

undefined"But if the girl was really involved, doesn't that mean the Northern Dragon Clan is involved too? Do you think it'll be safe? We should approach the Northern General and take him to the Northern Dragon Clan! With him around, even those arrogant people won't dare lie!"

One after another, all the Clans came to a consensus. For them, it didn't matter if Gabriel actually had the inheritance or not.

Even if he didn't have anything, they still wanted to drag him into this mess, along with the Northern Dragon Clan, to get to the truth about what happened to their people inside the Shadow Garden.

Soon, various giant ships rose into the air as all the clans stopped waiting around. The ships all rose in the air, departing from the Beast Region slowly. However, they all intended to return soon enough.

In the last week, Gabriel wasn't idle either. He had studied both the books. The first book talked about the information of Ancient Golems. At least that's what the people of the Upper World called them.

However, it was only when Gabriel read the entire thing that he found out that these weren't actually Golems, that were made from nothing.

The Golems had a real soul and the method to make one was really cruel!

To make one ancient golem that was used by the Stein Clan, multiple lives had been sacrificed.

According to the Book, multiple living beings had to be sacrificed to make one golem! And they all had to be alive during the process which was worse than death itself.

If anything, the process could only be described as demonic.

The thought of creating such a being using such sinister methods was unsettling, and it made him wonder if it was worth having such power.

He finally understood why the Founder of the Stein Clan didn't share this information with the others in his clan. This wasn't something that could be shared.

For the clan members, the Golems were ordinary golems that were made using some magical means. However, if they were to find out the method used for that were the lives of real humans in such a way, it was unclear just how disgusted some of them would've been.

If the information about this method was leaked, the Stein Clan could've attracted condemnation from all around the world! The Founder of Clan didn't want that.

"He was probably waiting for his last moments until sharing this information with the next clan head, so he didn't have to see their judgemental gazes. Unfortunately, he was killed by the King of the Upper Realm by that time."

Gabriel closed the book, and kept it aside. "So that's the story of the so-called inheritance that everyone is craving for..."

Even though Gabriel wanted to burn this book altogether, he still kept it in his storage ring for some reason.

It was only after that, he started reading the other book.

The second book was even more interesting for him than the first one, since it talked about the Blood Monarch and the giant whose skeleton he had inherited.

Not just then, the Book went into quite the detail about many people from the Ancient time, including the Goddess that he had met inside the Shadow Garden.

What was even more surprising was that it even mentioned the small gem that he had received.

That small item was called the Core of the Universe, which was stolen by the woman before she escaped. On its own, this core was useless since it couldn't do anything other than being a source of power.

However, there were two things that could bring out the full Power of the stone!

That was also the goal of the Blood Monarch and the person to whom that skeleton belonged.

They went there to find some things that they needed. And their goal was simple! They wanted to go against the laws of the universe and reverse time for the entire universe so that they could change the War of Gods outcome to their advantage!

With the information about the future, it was easy for them! However, this was only a theoretical assumption of theirs.

According to the Book, the two Ancient Gods went to the various power worlds to get the items that they needed.

The history that was famous in the upper realm about the skeleton and the Blood Monarch dying after fighting each other wasn't true either. At least according to the Book.

They didn't die fighting each other. Instead, they were killed as soon as they were discovered.

The Book appeared more like a diary of the woman who mentioned her thoughts and knowledge in that. According to that, the two didn't fight against each other. Instead, they fought Janus, who had the physique of a young boy, but the strength way beyond!

The reason the Nether Realm was destroyed to that extent was because it couldn't hear Janus using his full strength. Various laws of the universe were distorted, which left the world in ruins.

However, that moment didn't just affect the Nether Realm. Instead, it also affected the world Karyk was from.

Since the Nether World was ruined, it only brought more instability to his own world, which led to the birth of the gods after humans ruined that world as well.

The more Gabriel read, the more fascinated he became.

From the Book, it was clear that almost everything was connected, one way or another to the War of Gods.

Every change that his world went through... and the Changes that the Nether Realm went through.

At this point, he couldn't help but think if the sudden rise of the King of the Upper Realm was also related to the Great War of Gods.

According to the Stein Clan, the King of Upper Realm rose suddenly, at the time where their clan used to reign supreme because of the inheritance. And the inheritance was given to their clan after the great war.

undefinedThat made him believe that the change in the Upper Realm happened at around the same time as well.

Everything was connected with an invisible threat. However, he still couldn't see if it was all an accident, or there was a puppet master behind all this.

Was this really a coincidence that Karyk was the first person to awaken in their world with a supreme element? Was it just a coincidence that his awakening led to the awakening of others? Or was there something else about him that they hadn't seen yet?

"Argh, it's so frustrating." Gabriel closed the Book, feeling a headache.

He looked around and could see nothing but darkness and the faint glow of the moon. It was the middle of the night. In his reading, he was so engrossed that he didn't even know how much time had passed.

"I need some fresh air," he muttered to himself and headed out for a walk.

As he walked, the wind whispered eerie tunes, and his thoughts were clouded with more questions than answers. Something strange was definitely going on. He didn't know why, but after knowing everything, he felt even more lost.

Subconsciously, he didn't feel connected to the Beast Monarchs and the woman who gave him the gem.

However, for some reason, there was a deep feeling hidden inside him that made him feel as if he could trust them. He couldn't help but wonder if it was the remnant feeling inside the skeleton that was affecting him.

"What do you think about all this?" he asked, gazing at the moon above the sky. However, he was clearly talking to Karyk.

Unfortunately for him, Karyk didn't reply. It was unclear if the two couldn't hear each other, or Karyk just didn't feel like speaking anything for the time being.

He had thoughts of his own.

As Gabriel was starting to think that he wasn't going to get an answer, a voice fell in his ears.

"The Realm of Gods... It might actually be the reality. But if that's the reality, then those people already know about us... They knew about us long ago."

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked.

"They knew about our existence. They knew about everything," Karyk replied. "And not just that, they are watching us...closely."

"How can you be so sure?" Gabriel frowned.

"When we turned our world into our Domain..." Karyk muttered. He didn't have to speak much. Just that much was enough for Gabriel to realize what he was thinking.

The time when the two of them were one, they had used a World Tier Spell to turn their world into their domain. An unknown True God had entered their World to stop them.

At that time, they both knew that the man wasn't from the Upper Realm but they didn't know where he was from.

Thanks to their Domain, they had killed that man. However, not long after that, Karyk had felt that someone was watching them from far away.

Now that the both of them knew about the existence of the Realm of Gods, it wasn't hard for them to guess who was watching them.

They had killed a True God and broke the laws of the universe. At the time itself, the news about them should've spread.

That meant their existence was exposed right then. However, no one came to kill them, which was more surprising.

At the end, both of them were confused on what to believe. However, Karyk knew that no matter what, his goal remained the same! He had to kill all the Gods who betrayed him! That was his priority! As for everything else, he didn't care!

Another month passed. Even though Gabriel wanted to leave the Beast Region, he had decided to stay behind for the time being to learn more from the Beast Overlords.

He knew that there was still some gap between him and Karyk. He could use the Element of Death through his link to Karyk, but It wasn't as strong as Karyk. At the same time, his mastery over his other Elements wasn't even close to being adequate.

He could defeat the Goddess of Light, but when it came to facing Karyk in a battle, he knew he had no chance!

That's why, he wanted to learn everything that was hidden inside him, especially the abilities related to the Bloodline of the True God that they had killed, and the abilities of the Skeleton that he possessed.

He could only rely on himself to master the Bloodline. However, to be able to use the abilities that this skeleton granted him, he needed the help of people who knew and understood the person this skeleton belonged to.

Throughout the entire month, Gabriel was training with the Beast Overlords, while learning the Art of Worldly Laws that he could control.

Initially, he didn't know what the characters on the skeleton were. However, through the Book he had, and the Beast Monarch Guidance, he came to know that those characters were called the Worldly Laws.

There were said to be thousands of worldly laws which could be controlled by learning to utilize their ancient character. However, only a few of those characters were discovered by the owner of that skeleton, who carved those characters on his bones.

He was able to use the Ancient Characters to use the Worldly Laws, which allowed him to survive the War of Gods and escape. However, he couldn't survive for long. In the end, even he couldn't avoid fate.

"How long do I have to eat this medicine? When will my training start?" Karyk asked the maid who delivered him the strange pills.

It had been over a month since the four Overlords took him as a disciple but they didn't even show themselves.

There was no training or anything. If anything, he was only supposed to eat these medicines every day. And the number of pills he was given was only increasing.

undefinedUnfortunately, no one knew that he wasn't eating a single pill and only pretending while gathering information about the path to the Central World.

So far, he has managed to find out something important. There was said to be only one way to enter the Central World. And it was by collecting four keys from all four of the Generals.

One when the four keys were used simultaneously, could the path to the Central World be opened.

Unfortunately, the Four Monarchs didn't carry the keys with themselves, which made it even hard for Gabriel to find them.

Another thing he found out was that if a General was to die, then their key was going to be destroyed on their own, which made it impossible for it to be used. So he couldn't just kill them and then search for the keys either.

He could imprison them, but it wasn't easy even for him. He could do it, but not without attracting too much attention, which was even worse for him.

There were so many problems in the path that led him to the four keys. So far, he only knew about one key... The Key of the Southern General, who used it like a pendant around his neck.

That was the easiest. However the other three Generals were more cunning.

"The Generals said that your training will start after six months in the Central World. So stop complaining and just eat the pills."

The maid placed the pills in Karyk's hands, and gazed at him.

It was only when Karyk placed the pills in his mouth and swallowed, she left.

As soon as she left, Karyk raised his tongue, pulling out the two pills that he was thought to have eaten.

"In six months, the Central World? Just what are these four plans?" Gazing at the pills in his hand, Karyk commented, as if talking to himself.

Throughout the month, Gabriel tried to master the Words of Universal Laws.

He used his fingers, creating a character before him in empty air. A streak of elemental aura was left behind, wherever his finger moved, as if his fingers were the pen, and the elemental aura was the ink.

Unfortunately, it wasn't easy. For some reason, he noticed that he was wasting too much energy. By the time he was about to complete the characters, he mostly ran out of all his energy reserves.

Another thing of interest that he noticed was that every time he practiced making these characters, the elemental energy reserves inside his body were increasing, ever so minutely.

He wanted to explore this further and find a way to efficiently use the energy while making the elemental aura characters. He was determined to master this art and create something great.

He continued to practice, focusing on his breathing and using his energy reserves wisely. Unfortunately, it still wasn't easy. Just the sheer amount of energy needed to create just one character was to the extent that he couldn't bear, let alone more.

If he was to describe, then each character on his bones that was carved by the god before him... Was on the level of a World Tier Spell, if not stronger.

Mastering each of the characters was like mastering a World Tier Spell.

But he didn't give up. Day after day, he worked tirelessly, determined to perfect his craft. As time passed, he discovered that it wasn't just about the physical act of carving the characters, but it was also about understanding their deeper meanings and the power they held.

Slowly but surely, his skill improved. However, he still wasn't close to success yet. Fortunately, he now knew the path he had to take to succeed in the future.

Now that he had learned almost everything that he had to, he could finally leave the Beast Region.

Even though he didn't know if he could actually believe the Beast Monarchs or not, but in any case, he was grateful for them to teach him what he wanted to learn.

Even if he hadn't succeeded yet, that was because it was hard. Not because the teaching was wrong.

He couldn't help but thank the Beast Overlords. Throughout the time he stayed here, he had understood the Beast Monarchs even more. They were really lazy. Other than eating and relaxing, they did nothing else.

If anything, most of them just slept and barely woke up. He finally understood why the Clans said that they didn't need to worry about the Beast Overlords

These people actually weren't going to do unless they were really under attack. However, that also made Gabriel feel better about them. They were lazy, and didn't appear to be greedy at all.

They had been respectful to him. Even though they realized that he had received the inheritance, they didn't desire for it. They didn't even ask about it, as if it didn't matter.

They had already reached the peak of their strength that their bodies allowed them. No matter what, they couldn't get any stronger.

Overall, these Beast Monarchs appeared more human than many humans themselves. They weren't like the gods who betrayed one of their own for greater authority. If anything, they were all together if they were to fight, no matter what was offered to them.

If he had to stay at a place to learn, Gabriel was glad that he stayed here. However, now was the time for him to leave.

He had to get out of the Beast Forest and finish the task that they came to this world for. He had to take the identity of the Death Starā€¦

The Beast Monarchs were surprised that Gabriel was leaving.

Even though the young man had been telling them all this time that he was soon going to leave, when it was finally time for him to leave, they were still taken aback.

They had expected him to stay there, at least until he was able to control his strength to his fullest.

They were somewhat worried that Gabriel's link to them was going to be discovered and then he was going to be killed. In fact, they were surprised that he wasn't already killed.

undefinedThey tried to convince Gabriel to stop. However, none of them used force. They only used their reasoning to stop the young man.

As Gabriel was walking out of the Beast Region, he noticed a figure in the sky.

Before long, the figure landed right before him, making the entire ground tremble, as if it was a short earthquake.

The figure belonged to a Beast Monarch who had the Characteristics of a Lion, having claws that could rip even gods to pieces.

The Beast Monarch was still holding onto a jar of wine, which was filled to the brim. Not a single droplet had fallen out.

Without saying a word, the Beast Monarch extended the jar of wine towards Gabriel.

Gabriel hesitated for a moment, but then reached out to take the jar. As soon as he took it, the Monarch turned around. "I know that you won't be staying behind. I can see that you have something important to do outside. However, just remember one thing..."

The Beast Monarch took a few steps away, at a calm pace. However, he hadn't walked far, before he continued, "We couldn't save that guy, because we were too cowardly. And I don't want to make the same mistake again."

The Beast Monarch glanced back. For the first time, something akin to a smile could be seen on his face.

"So if you need any help, don't hesitate. No matter what, I'll be there for you, even if it means alerting the Guardian of the Throne! So don't hesitate."

"You-" Gabriel was momentarily dazed. However, just as he was about to speak, he saw the Beast Monarch jump, disappearing just like he had come.

Only a small talisman could be seen floating where he was previously standing.

The small talisman floated to Gabriel, until it landed on his other hand.

As Gabriel held onto the talisman, he felt that it was connected to the Beast Monarch. Just as he had said, it was something that could be used as the last resort to contact the Beast Monarchs and ask for their help once.

Gabriel kept the talisman safely in his storage, as he glanced at the direction where the Beast Monarch had disappeared.

He took the sip of the wine that the Beast Monarch had given him, as he continued walking away from the Beast Region.

With each sip of the wine, he felt that his aura was getting stronger. The wine appeared to have something special.

"What a gift..." Gabriel muttered, shaking his head lightly.

Three days later, he finally stepped out of the Beast Region.

When he entered the Beast Region, he only expected to find the Inheritance to strengthen himself. However, the reality was quite different.

The inheritance that he was after, turned out to be quite evil and useless. On the other hand, he received the gifts that he didn't even expect, uncovering the mystery behind the strange marks on the bones.

As he walked away from the Beast Region, Gabriel couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn of events. He knew that he still had a long journey ahead, but now he felt more confident and prepared for whatever challenges may lie ahead. He had everything that he needed, and even more.

One week passed and Gabriel finally returned to the Stein Clan. He had no intentions of teaching the vile method to the Stein Clan.

Even though he himself had taken many lives, anything was better than the torment people were put through, to make these golems.

This time, he didn't need anyone to guide him inside.

He still had the token given to him by the Patriarch of the Stein Clan,which allowed him to pass through the security. However, even without the token, he had faith in his abilities.

Gabriel didn't directly go to the Stein Clan Mansion. Instead, he flew toward the Giant Golems, standing guard.

He landed before the Golems, taking a careful glance at them.

The two Golems remained standing like proper lifeless statues. However, Gabriel could now feel why he felt so familiar to them. It was because of two reasons!

The first reason was because he was connected to the Element of Death through Karyk, so he could feel connected to the souls inside the golems, without even knowing.

And the second reason was because the method of creating these Golems was said to be created by the woman who he had seen in the Shadow Garden. And she used the knowledge of the man that the Skeleton belonged to. In a way, he was connected to these golems.

Not just connected, but now that he knew how they were created, he could even use them to the extent that he wanted.

He stepped closer to the Golems, walking in the air. He placed his fingers on the chest of one of the golems

Now that he knew about this, he could pass through every security mechanism in the Golems, feeling every particle of the golems for himself.

He didn't even need to surpass the seal of the Stein Clan Founder since he had a higher level version of the same method, while the Stein Clan Founder used the incomplete method.

Gabriel was even able to see the souls that were used to create the Golems, and he actually found the sight to be an abomination!

If he wasn't strong mentally, he could've easily vomited at the sight. None of the souls were intact. They were merged into something abysmal. Many human parts should also be seen inside!

All the souls that were used to create the Golems had merged into something abysmal. It was as if they had all lost their individual personalities while still maintaining some of their old selves.

Because they were a combination of multiple souls, they had no single thought. It was as if they were full of Chaos.

He could also feel plenty of hatred inside the souls that were directed at the outside world. Unfortunately, they couldn't move on their own, no matter how much they wanted. They were bound in something akin to shackles.

"You're back!"

undefinedWhile Gabriel was lost in thoughts he heard a voice coming from behind him. Multiple footsteps resounded.

He took off his hands from the statue and glanced back, noticing various High Ranking Guards of the Stein Clan.

He realized that some of the guards had already gone to inform the higher ups about his arrival.

He took one more glance at the statues, feeling as if they were asking for his help.

He didn't do anything for now, simply landing on the ground, facing the guards.

He didn't react to the query of the guards and simply started walking toward the Mansion in the distance where the Patriarch of the Stein Clan was staying.

Since everyone already knew about his arrival, it was only a matter of time before they came for him anyway.

Accompanied by multiple Guards, Gabriel reached the mansion where the Elders were already prepared for him.

They were all told that Gabriel was on their side,and it was quite likely that he possessed the inheritance! They had to treat him nicely if they didn't want to offend the Patriarch of the Stein Clan.

" It's good to see you safe and well." One of the Elders laughed, welcoming Gabriel. The door of the mansion was open.

As Gabriel stepped inside, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Despite their friendly demeanor, he knew that the Elders were cunning, and their true intentions were quite easy to decipher.

They all wanted to ask about the inheritance right away. It was clear that this was what they were all after.

Unfortunately for them, Gabriel had no intention of giving away that information. It wasn't as if they could know if he succeeded or not. After all, there was only one person who accompanied him inside, and even that person didn't know that he received the inheritance.

Gabriel was brought to the main hall, where the Stein Clan Patriarch was already waiting for him.

Next to the Patriarch, was his daughter who revealed a beautiful smile as soon as she saw Gabriel.

She was quite pleased when she found out that Gabriel hadn't betrayed them. However, ever since he was taken by the Beast Overlords, she had been constantly worrying about his safety, especially since such a long time had passed.

After seeing him safe, she finally sighed in relief, waving her hand at Gabriel.

Gabriel took notice of her, but his reaction was quite normal.

Unlike before, this time there was already a seat prepared for Gabriel, on an equal standing to the seats of the Elders. However, none of the Elders were offended.

All the Elders were grinning from ear to ear, believing that the inheritance was within their grasp. Why else would this kid come back if he didn't have the inheritance?

Gabriel was informed about which seat was his. He took the seat. The other Elders also sat.

The main hall was closed and a sound proof barrier was cast, to make sure that none of the conversation leaked.

"You have no idea how much you've helped us by finding our inheritance!" The Patriarch of Stein Clan laughed, heartily. It was rare for him to be so happy. "With that inheritance, it's only a matter of time for our clan to rise! Then we can work together, helping your revenge!"

"Hahaha, I knew Gabriel was a talented young man! He actually succeeded." An Elder chimed in.

"That's correct. It's rare to find such talented youngsters!" Another Elder affirmed, laughing.

The atmosphere was quite pleasant. The long cherished wish of the Clan was about to come true after all.

"Give it to the Patriarch." After all the elders spoke their heart, praising Gabriel, one of them spoke, getting to the main topic.

From start to the end, Gabriel was sitting silently, not showing much reaction. His eyes were calm, as if he was just observing his surroundings.

"Give what?" he asked, seemingly confused.

"The Inheritance, of course! What else!" The First Elder smiled. "Come on, don't joke around. We're all quite eager to see what it's like!"

Gabriel tilted his head sideways. "Inheritance? Is there a misunderstanding? I didn't find the inheritance. I was followed by the girl from the Dragon Clan all the way. If I had the inheritance, you think I would've been alive?"

Gabriel could see the greed in the eyes of all the Elders. Even though Ulesis and her father were somewhat different, but he still didn't feel comfortable giving that book to them, especially since that was the completed version, which was even worse than the ones their founder had found.

"Young man, as I said, now isn't the time to joke around!" the smile on the First Elder's face disappeared, changing into a malicious look.

"If you failed in finding the inheritance, how dare you return to us instead of dying somewhere?!" He further continued, as his tone became only sharper.

The Stein Clan Patriarch was also frowning. He was still trying to understand the situation. Did Gabriel really fail? But if that was the case, why did he feel that something wasn't right?

"That's enough..." He intervened, telling the First Elder to stop.

"I can't stop! It's clear that this brat found the inheritance! Didn't you hear that he went to the Golems as soon as he returned? Why else would he do that if he didn't have the inheritance?" The First Elder only became louder.

"It's clear that this brat has gotten greedy! He wants to monopolize what belongs to us!"

"Are you saying that I shouldn't come back if I didn't find the Inheritance?" Gabriel still didn't bother accepting.

If he wanted, he could possibly annihilate everyone here. However, he had no interest in that, even though these people had revealed their greed so openly.

He still wanted to salvage the situation if possible, since these people hadn't yet attacked him. Moreover, there weren't many clans who shared the same thought as him, especially when it came to the King.

"I came back because even without the Inheritance, we share the same goal," he further explained. "And the reason I went to see the Golems is because I saw something similar inside the Shadow Garden, blocking my path. I wasn't able to pass through them and was forced to return."

undefined"When I came here, I went to your Golems to see the similarities between the two sides."

Even now, he didn't tell them the truth. Even though the Method of creating the Goldems was crooked, he wasn't sure if the Stein Clan still wanted to go through it.

At the moment, revealing the truth was no different than creating more enemies for himself, especially ones that weren't enemies in the open.

"I believe you." The Head of the Stein Clan nodded, surprising every Elder.

But just before the Elders could say something, he continued, "However, I can't force the Elders to trust you. They'll always be doubting you, which isn't good for our cooperation. So how about you let them have some peace of mind? Allow a simple Soul Search on you..."

"Father...?" Ulesis was taken aback by her father's request.

Even Gabriel was frowning. A Soul Search was a method that could be used by powerful beings in the Upper Realm, which allowed them to go through all the memories of a person!

If the method was used with the other person's permission, it allowed them to read every single memory of that person. The only flaw was that it was something that slightly weakened the soul of the person it was used on.

However, this method could also be used without the other person's permission. Unfortunately, in that case, the process was way more painful! Moreover, there was also a risk of the entire soul being destroyed!

Even though it appeared as if he was doing this to convince the Elders, it was clear that the Stein Clan Patriarch was doing it for himself, to make sure that Gabriel actually didn't have the inheritance!

The Patriarch of the Stein Clan was the person who wanted the Inheritance the most after all. It was his obsession!

Gabriel hadn't expected this kind of request coming from the Stein Clan Head. In an instant, all the positive impressions he had of the clan were destroyed!

"Would you like to rephrase your words?" he asked.

However, the Stein Clan Patriarch was still perfectly calm. Even though Gabriel was strong, he didn't feel any threat. If anything, he felt that he was being a bit too nice for Gabriel, to the point where the young man was becoming more and more arrogant.

"Why are you hesitating? It won't take much time. And it'll be the easiest way for you to prove your innocence." The First Elder chimed in, grinning.

"That's right. If you're not a thief, then go through with it!"

"Are you finally accepting that you're a thief? You still have time! Hand over the inheritance!'

All the Elders became active. No matter where Gabriel looked in the fall, he only saw extreme greed in the eyes of these people, which was very different from what he saw with the Beast Monarchs.

Only one person was different in the entire hall, and was Ulesis. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything either.

"May I ask, what gave you the impression that I need to prove my innocence to the likes of you?" Gabriel inquired, finally having enough.

Just as Gabriel tried to stand up, a heavy pressure descended on him, forcing him down. It was as if the heaviest mountain was pressing down on him.

Gabriel's eyes also turned dark, as he glared at the Patriarch of the Stein Clan, who had finally moved.

"I didn't want to force you, but your insistence is becoming more and more suspicious! I have no choice but to force you."

The Patriarch of the Stein Clan stood up.

"Father, stop!" Ulesis tried to stop him. However, Shackles came out of the group, trapping her wrists and her ankles, making her unable to move at all

"Stay right there. I promise I won't kill him!" The Head of the Clan patted the head of his daughter gently before he stepped down the steps.

"You should've listened while I was being nice," he stated, stepping closer to Gabriel.

"If you think your shadows can protect you here, then you're in for a surprise. Did you think we wouldn't do anything in this hall after seeing your display last time?"

Above the hall, a majestic formation circle became visible. The formation circle made it impossible for any Shadow Warriors to be formed. Since that was supposed to be Gabriel's biggest strength, that formation made him essentially useless, especially since he couldn't move.

At the same time, more shackles came out of the group, trapping Gabriel's ankles and his wrist. One of the shackles wrapped around his neck, and another around his forehead, to keep his head straight for the Soul Search.

Gabriel's entire visage had changed. His eyes weren't calm anymore. Instead, traces of bloodlust were visible in his eyes that had turned pitch black.

"You will have time. Stop while I'm giving you this opportunity. If not, then I won't have any choice either..."

"That's the thing I find most fascinating about you. Even when you can't do anything, your arrogance is still at the peak. Unfortunately, that can't change anything."

The Stein Clan Patriarch stopped just a few inches away from Gabriel. His eyes revealed a look of pity as well, as if he wanted to have Gabriel as one of his own people if possible, since the young man was talented. However, he had no choice! He wanted inheritance most!

"Before I start, let me take that mask off."

The Stein Clan Patriarch reached out his hand, placing it around Gabriel's face, grabbing onto the facial mask that the young man was using.

Since he was already going to use the Soul Search, he didn't want to have the mask interfere with contact between his hand and Gabriel's face.

Grabbing the corner of Gabriel's mask, the man slowly took it off, before tossing it aside.

undefinedHe placed his hand under Gabriel's chin, raising his face slightly so he could watch it carefully.

However, as soon as he raised Gabriel's head and saw his face, his eyes opened wide. Subconsciously, he took a few steps back.

That face wasn't something that the Patriarch could forget! This was the face that almost everyone in the Upper Realm was looking for!

Portraits with this face were available everywhere, since this was the face of the person who was most wanted in the Upper Realm.

If anything, the Stein Clan Patriarch always wanted to work with Karyk to take down the King of the Upper Realm. That's why he was looking for Karyk, not to capture him.

However, the situation was completely opposite to his expectations. Not only was Karyk right next to him all the time, but he had also offended Karyk in this way!

The person that even kept the four Generals wary... He tried to Search his soul?

His eyes went blank.

In the back, even Ulesis's lips were parted in surprise. She still remembered when she talked about Karyk being her idol, only to now find out that Gabriel was him?! She couldn't understand how Karyk was able to hide his death aura though.

The Elders also appeared as if they had swallowed poison. Their faces were pale as a thin sheet of paper. There was a trace of fear in their eyes. That all remembered the stories they had heard, about Karyk's past!

Not a single clan who stood in his path ever had a good ending.

The Stein Clan Patriarch only frowned in the end. "To think that you would be the Death Star..."

"I wanted to work with you so bad. But now that I've already offended you, I have no other choice but to kill you here! But before that, let me search your soul! I'm sure it'll have many secrets that can help my clan rise to the peak."

The Stein Clan Patriarch reached out his hand, to place them on Gabriel's forehead. However, just as his hand was about to touch Gabriel, he froze.

A bright light flashed before his eyes. The next moment, he roared in pain as if he was a dying pig.

A thin line of blood spread across his arms, as the lower half of his right arm dropped on the ground.

"Arghhh!" The Patriarch of the Stein Clan roared in pain, holding his bleeding arm. He jumped back, gazing at a Death General who was standing right next to Gabriel.

The formation in the hall could stop the summoning of Shadows of a Shadow Mage. However, what Gabriel summoned wasn't the shadows but real beings... The Death Generals, created by Karyk himself.

The Elders were also taken aback. However, before they could respond, they saw a deep blue fire burning around Gabriel.

All the shackles that were holding Gabriel into place broke apart in an instant. However, the fire didn't harm Gabriel in the least.

Gabriel rubbed his wrists, which had a mark left on it, because of the shackles. It was as if he was a different person entirely.

He glanced at Raphael, who he was meeting after a long time. Raphael appeared much stronger, as if his training had worked. Moreover, now his flames also appeared to have some traces of space. It was as if his flames could also break apart space now.

"W-wait! We can still talk about it!" The Stein Clan Patriarch exclaimed, frowning.

He had a bad feeling. Now that he had offended Karyk, he didn't want to suffer more. He was confident in taking out the ruling shadow mage, but when it came to Karyk who was free, he didn't have confidence!

Last time Karyk came to the Upper Realm, he was all alone and yet he caused so much damage. On the other hand, this time he came with his Death Generals which made the Upper Realm even more wary.

The Stein Clan Patriarch knew that the situation was dire. He had to come up with a plan to solve this conflict peacefully. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"We should talk about it! If there's a conflict, we both will suffer! Even though you have your strength, we also have the Ancient Golems which can kill you! So instead of fighting amongst ourselves, we should join our strength to fight the King of the Upper Realm."

"That's what I also wanted...," Gabriel commented.

His response made the Stein Clan Patriarch sigh in relief. However, his calmness soon disappeared as he heard the other half of Gabriel's sentence.

"... In the past. However, now there is no need for this cooperation..." Gabriel tightened his fist, glancing in a particular direction.

At the same time, his Divine Consciousness spread around.

Within a few seconds, the entire ground started trembling, as if there was an earthquake.

The Stein Clan Patriarch had his face turn pale, as he realized what was happening! The earthquake wasn't natural! Instead, it was because their guardian Golems were moving on their own, coming toward the Clan Mansion.

"H-how did you?" The Stein Clan Patriarch asked, stunned. However, his eyes soon revealed a look of understanding.

He fiercely exclaimed, "The Inheritance! You received it!"

"You're wrong." Gabriel said, without any expressions on his face. "I didn't receive the inheritance of your Founder... I received something else... Something that you won't be alive to see..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep blue flame filled the entire hall. Only Ulesis remained unharmed in the flames.

Boom~

As soon as the flames filled up the fall, sounds of the walls being broken responded.

The ones who were able to protect themselves,cast a barrier around their bodies to protect themselves. However, the ones who couldn't do it, broke the wall and flew outside, to get away from those flames.

Unfortunately for them, the flames appeared to be alive, chasing after them.

undefinedAt the same time, the earthquake kept getting stronger and stronger, as if the Ancient Golems were getting closer.

"Stop it!" The Patriarch of Stein Clan exclaimed, his voice getting louder. A burst of aura came out of his body. His aura strengthened, as his body was surrounded by a strange soul energy.

The Energy Blast didn't differentiate between friends and foes. Even the Elders of the Stein Clan were sent back, coughing out blood.

Gabriel brought his hands together, casting a Barrier of Light. However even that barrier wasn't completely intact under the energy blast as multiple cracks developed on it.

Raphael, raised his hand, forming a flaming sword which he stabbed on the ground, to firmly maintain his footing.

The energy blast sent multiple people flying back.

"That was...Soul Energy?" Gabriel's expressions darkened. He wasn't concerned about his weakened barrier. Instead, his thoughts were more focused on the strange energy, which matched something he had read in the book he recently received from Shadow Garden.

The so-called inheritance contained the method of using living beings to create the Ancient Golems. But in that, there was also another method, which allowed one to harvest the soul energy for themselves!

Looking at the Soul Energy, Gabriel realized what was happening here! The Patriarch of the Stein Clan already had portions of the so-called inheritance from his founder.

Unfortunately for him, the method he received wasn't complete, making him unable to create Ancient Golems. But it still allowed him to use Soul Energy.

That made it clear to Gabriel! The Patriarch of the Stein Clan knew just what kind of cruelty lied inside that inheritance yet he didn't hesitate in order to gain strength!

The more Gabriel saw that man, the more he felt as if he was looking at the Goddess of Light. The two had so many similarities, as both were willing to do anything to get strength.

"To think that you would force me to use this power!" The Patriarch of the Stein Clan exclaimed, frowning.

A Spirit Armor appeared around him, which made it almost impossible for the black flames to harm him.

"You should've taken my offer when I was being nice to you!" He spoke.

"A method to use Soul Energy in such a way, without having that element... It's quite fascinating to see it in real life..."

Standing inside the castle in the middle of nowhere, Karyk kept the two pills in his hand safely, once again not eating it.

At this point, he was only waiting for the next five months to be over so he could directly be taken to the Central World without having to do anything.

However, since he had nothing better to do in the Palace, he often took interest in what was happening on Gabriel's side and every time he did that, he found something interesting.

Since he could be considered the God of Death, he could easily use the souls he collected in a similar manner. However, their methods were different at their core.

Karyk didn't need to forcefully take any souls. Everything was natural for him. However, to see another using something similar in real life was fascinating for him.

"You know that weakness of the Soul Armor, don't you?" He asked, gazing at the beautiful sun in the distance.

For the Stein Clan Patriarch to use this method before them was similar for someone using their own weapon against them... A weapon that they knew everything about, including its strength and weaknesses.

"Who could know better than me?" Gabriel replied, watching the blue flames slowly disappear.

"Me." Karyk answered jokingly. "Anyway, make sure to deal with them swiftly. I noticed some movements here. They've probably sensed the aura of my Death Generals. It'll only be a matter of a few moments, before they locate you. So get out of here after you're done."

Even Karyk didn't know what it was, but he had slowly started treating Gabriel like a real little brother, even though both of them were part of the same soul. He didn't have any intention of just sitting idly and watching Gabriel get hurt.

"I've no intention of wasting time either..." Gabriel nodded.

The Ancient Golems had finally reached the Mansion of the Stein Clan.

The members of the Stein Clan were stunned as to what was happening. Why were the Golems moving suddenly?

Their faces were covered in shock when they watched the Golems before them.

The Warriors of the Clan remained dazed. However, it was only when one of the Elders told them that the Ancient Golems were under someone else's control that they realized.

"Hold them back until we take care of the intruder!" The Stein Clan Elder exclaimed.

"We hold them back?" The Warriors of the Clan were momentarily frozen in place, looking at the massive golems.

These golems were the reason that even the strongest clans didn't easily attack them. And now they had to hold these golems back? Was it any different from asking them to die?

But they knew they had to obey their Elders command. So, they took their weapons and surrounded the golems, bracing themselves for the attack.

The golems slowly started to move, their massive limbs making the ground shake beneath the feet of the Clan warriors. The Warriors knew that they needed a plan, and fast. They couldn't take on these golems head-on; they needed to find their weaknesses.

Unfortunately, who knew better than them that the only person who knew the weakness of these Golems was probably the patriarch. There was no way the weakness was going to be known by others, since no one wanted that information to leak.

The ground shook violently as two colossal figures walked like the ancient mountains.

These were the Giant Ancient Golems, awakened from their slumber. It had been a long time since they last moved.

The last time these Golems moved was hundreds of years ago when the Stein Clan was last attacked. And it was because of the help of these Golems that the Stein Clan was still standing tall to this day.

However, now that clan had to face their own Protectors, especially while most of their Elders were kept busy by Gabriel. This was the worst difficulty that they had ever faced.

undefinedWith their massive bodies composed of ancient stone and their eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy, the Golems stood as formidable adversaries against the Warriors of the Stein Clan.

The Warriors of the Stein Clan, renowned for their mastery of magic, quickly assembled their forces.

Clad in shimmering armor, each warrior carried a staff imbued with elemental power. They formed a protective circle around their elder, a man named Eldrik.

With a stern expression, Eldrik channeled his magic, sensing the immense power emanating from the approaching golems.

As the golems drew nearer, the earth quivered beneath their colossal feet. With each step, they caused tremors that sent shockwaves through the ranks of the Stein Clan. The warriors stood firm, though fear flickered in their eyes.

"Prepare yourselves. We need to hold them back or everyone will die!" Eldrik commanded, his voice resonating with authority.

With that, the warriors raised their staves, summoning a tempest of wind to buffet the golems. But the wind merely brushed against their stony forms, having little effect.

Undeterred, the warriors unleashed bolts of lightning and torrents of fire, attempting to exploit the golems' weaknesses.

Yet the golems, impervious to the magical onslaught, pressed forward relentlessly. Their colossal fists crashed down, smashing the earth and causing plumes of dust and debris to billow into the air. The warriors dodged and weaved, narrowly escaping the devastating blows.

Eldrik's eyes narrowed as he realized the futility of their efforts. He knew they had underestimated the power of the ancient golems. The golems, devoid of emotion or mercy, showed no signs of weakness or vulnerability.

"Fall back!" Eldrik shouted, his voice laced with desperation.

The warriors, their faces etched with frustration and determination, regrouped as the golems advanced, their steps shaking the very foundation of the battleground. Eldrik surveyed the situation, contemplating their next move.

The golems reached even closer, their presence overwhelming. With an ear-splitting roar, they unleashed a combined onslaught of brute force and unyielding power. The ground beneath the warriors trembled violently as the golems' blows crashed against their defenses.

One by one, the warriors of the Stein Clan succumbed to the golems' might. The earth soaked in their blood as they fell, their magical abilities proving insufficient to overcome the ancient behemoths. Eldrik, the last remaining warrior, stood alone, his staff trembling in his hands.

With a heavy heart, Eldrik acknowledged their defeat. The golems, towering over him, stood as a testament to the unstoppable forces of the past. As the warriors lay defeated and broken, Eldrik's eyes met those of the golems, a silent acknowledgement passing between them.

The golems, having achieved their purpose, didn't retreat and attacked Eldrik.

Eldrik summoned all his strength and readied himself for the final battle. With graceful movements, he weaved and dodged the golems' attacks, striking back with his staff. The battle raged on until finally, Eldrik received a fatal blow.

His body flew back, falling in the distance. His staff also fell in the distance. Before he could even get up, he saw the massive foot of the Giant Golem hovering above him.

He could only close his eyes as the giant foot came crashing down, crushing him under its weight.

After taking care of all the guards, the two golems stepped closer to the mansion and started destroying it slowly.

Inside the Mansion, the sound of demolition and Explosions resounded everywhere.

The Spirit Armor of the Stein Clan Patriarch shone brightly. His arm that was cut off, appeared again. However, it appeared to be made of spirits, allowing him to hold things.

Gabriel took a step back, raising his finger only. "Let me test this..."

He raised his hand. As soon as the Stein Clan Patriarch flew toward Gabriel; Gabriel's fingers moved, creating a strange pattern in the air, as if he was creating a word on empty air.

Unlike when he was in the Beast Region, he didn't take a long time to create it. However, what he created was only the most basic one.

That was the only one he had managed to master.

Before the Stein Clan Patriarch could even get close to Gabriel, he saw the strange word being completed.

A bright ray of light shot out of the strange world.

The Golems were still destroying the mansion when they suddenly stopped, sending a familiar energy. It was as if they were scared of it.

A bright beam of light shot out from the mansion, destroying everything in its path.

In the end, the beam of light hit a mountain in the distance, however it didn't stop there either, leaving a giant hole in the mountain itself, allowing to see through it.

Inside the mansion, Gabriel was breathing heavily. This attack had exhausted him completely. However, this was also what allowed him to see the true might of these words.

Everything that was before him, disappeared. Even the Stein Clan Patriarch was nowhere to be found. Only a few traces of his clothes could be seen fluttering in the wind, as if he was caught in the attack and was destroyed.

The attack that was intended for the Stein Clan Patriarch didn't just catch him, but also a few other Elders in the back.

The remaining Elders were frozen in place. In the end, they just dropped to their knees in fear. It was as if their bodies refused to listen to them.

Gabriel couldn't use any more magic for the time being since he exhausted himself. However, Raphael and the others were still here, which allowed him to freely exert himself.

Gabriel glanced at Ulesis on the other side of the hall.

Gabriel glanced at Ulesis in the distance, while all the Elders trembled on the side.

At the same time, the sound of the Stein Clan Mansion being destroyed filled the entire place.

The Elders who tried to escape were killed right away, as if not a single person was allowed to move.

Gazing at Ulesis, Gabriel didn't speak a single word. However, his gaze was enough to show his disappointment with her clan.

undefinedAfter some time, he finally stopped looking at her. He turned around, and walked out of the Hall.

He didn't care about killing the rest of the elders. There was no benefit of getting rid of the witnesses since the aura of death was already filling up this entire place. And many of the guards had already escaped as well.

He also didn't want to spend too much time here, since the Generals could get here anytime. He had to leave before that happened.

Ulesis didn't say a single word, even as Gabriel left the hall.

After stepping out of the Hall, Gabriel raised his hand lightly, gesturing the Ancient Golems to stop.

He stepped on the air, walking closer to the Giant Golems.

Gabriel knew that it was beneficial for him to have the two Giant Golems. However, he also knew that there were more drawbacks than benefits.

Firstly, the Golems were not Invincible. That's why the Founder of the Stein Clan had lost. When he was against the truly strong people these golems were nothing.

Another flaw was that they were too big, and couldn't be kept in the Shadow, a realm where Karyk's army was kept.

If he wanted to have them, he had to be followed by them in reality, which was no different than having a big target hanging over his head.

It not only would've interfered with his movements, but also troubled him in other ways.

And lastly, he didn't feel like having them in the first place. The more he thought about them and how they were made, the more disgusted he felt.

"I don't need your help anymore, so I grant you... Freedom." He placed his hands on the Golems.

With a single word of his, the two golems started developing cracks. Their bodies soon fell apart, while their souls slowly disintegrated, as if they were finally freed of this misery.

As the souls were destroyed, Gabriel could feel that even the souls were confused. They thought they would live like this for an eternity, but they were finally being freed. To them, death was a gift that they were waiting for.

Even though they couldn't speak, Gabriel had a feeling that they were thanking him as the last shreds of theirs disappeared.

Only the pieces of the golems were left behind on the ground, as if pieces of stones from a mountain. However, these stones were now useless.

After dealing with the matters at hand, Gabriel left the place.

He had no interest in getting in conflict with any General, since it could affect Karyk's plan. Both of them had their own goals at the time!

While Karyk had to get to the Central World to kill the King of the Upper Realm and uncover the secret of the Central World, Gabriel was to kill all the traitors, especially the Goddess of Light.

It was only after he killed the Goddess of Light, his control over his own element could increase.

Three weeks later, in an unknown part of the Northern World, a young man entered a city. His face was covered in a disguise, but no one could see through that disguise, at least not until they were at the level of the King of the Upper Realm.

The disguise was so perfect that it could even fool the Four Generals.

In the last three weeks, an explosive piece of news had spread. It was about the fall of the Stein Clan at the hands of Karyk!

Because of that, Karyk had once again entered the limelight. People were starting to talk about him again.

After disappearing for a long time, he appeared again and targeted one of the top clans!

With that news, everyone had found out that Karyk had reached the Northern Realm!

There was another piece of news. It was that the remnants of the Stein Clan had dispersed. There was no Stein Clan in the Northern Realm anymore! All the remaining Elders had Abandoned it, worried that Karyk might return.

And no one knew where Ulesis currently was. She had also left, taking everything precious in the clan with her.

That was the only information available for the public. However, for the top clans, there was more information available.

That information stunned them even more, especially the Skyler Clan Head, who was still trembling!

He couldn't believe that Karyk was right before him outside the Shadow Garden and he was being so disrespectful.

His entire body was drenched in sweat. He was so glad that he was still alive. However, from the rumors about her, it was clear that Karyk was a person who repaid all grudges

The Skyler Clan Head increased the security of his clan, and also prepared to escape if needed.

Another person who was surprised was the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan.

She was in a meeting with her father. She had already told her father everything that happened in the Shadow Garden.

Initially, she didn't think that Gabriel got the inheritance. However, now she was confused as well.

It was now well known that Gabriel was able to control the golems of the Stein Clan, which implied that he had the inheritance.

"So you're saying the Death Star owed you a favor?" The Head of the Northern Dragon Clan frowned.

The girl nodded. "At least that's what he said. According to him, if the request isn't overboard, he'll help me once. However, I'm not sure if he actually will, since that guy already lied to me once and I even believed him."

"It doesn't matter. If he actually wants to repay a favor, it can be a great opportunity for us!"

"If he can help us, it'll be good. But if he can't help, then he'll just be a variant that we'll need to get rid of."

The middle aged man who spoke had two blue horns protruding out of his head. Around his neck, some dragon scales were visible clearly.

It was as if they were real dragon scales. Another strange thing about the man was that each of his eyes had two pupils in them.

"Do you understand?" he asked the young woman who was on one knee before him.

undefinedThe young woman raised her head, looking at the middle aged man. In the end, she nodded her head.

"Good. Then find him first, no matter what method you have to use!" The man waved his hand. A portal appeared behind the woman. Her body was pushed inside the portal, making her disappear from the room.

Unaware of some of the changes in the Northern World and the entire Upper Realm, Gabriel had entered a new city.

His new disguise wasn't eye-catching, and he tried to avoid as much attention as possible.

Fortunately, the city he entered was quite crowded already, which made it very easy for him.

According to the information that he had, the City was hosting a Poetry Competition between various scholars of the Northern Realm.

To take part in the Poetry Competition, many Scholars from faraway places had arrived at this place.

Everywhere he looked, Gabriel was able to see Scholars, dressed in pure white attire, as if they were above everyone else, with how intellectual they were.

There was not a single Scholar who wasn't arrogant. However, their arrogance was only revealed when they talked to other people. When the Scholars talked to other Scholars, they behaved like a gentleman.

Seeing all that hypocrisy, Gabriel couldn't shake his head. He didn't know any Poetry personally, however he had memories of Karyk.

Since Karyk used to be a Prince before everything was destroyed, his knowledge about poetry was already quite high. Gabriel also had that knowledge.

However, he didn't plan to use that Knowledge. He had come here only for one purpose and one purpose alone...

There were multiple gods that had betrayed Karyk, and in essence, him. He wanted to kill the Goddess of Light, who was the main perpetrator. However, it was hard to get to her. So he decided to start with someone else...

"The Goddess Of Water..."

According to what he had heard, the Goddess of Water lived in this city. She hadn't reached a high position like the Goddess of Light, but her position wasn't low either.

The Meztil City was an important City in the Northern Realm. It was considered a high tier City, and it had its own importance.

In the last thousand years, the Goddess of Water had managed to become the City Lord of the Meztil City.

Because of that, she also held quite the decent amount of power in her hand. She was the reason Gabriel came here.

Fortunately, information about the Goddess of Water was also included in the Documents that he received from the Stein Clan.

"Have you heard? The City Lord will be attending the Scholar's Conference this time?"

While Gabriel was walking toward the City Lord's Mansion, he noticed many guards in the surroundings. With what happened to the Stein Clan, almost every city was on high alert.

Multiple people were being stopped and being thoroughly checked for any disguises, as long as they managed to raise even the slightest of suspicions of the guards. Even some of the Scholars were checked. However, as there were so many people, not everyone was checked.

It was even harder to get closer to the City Lord's Mansion with how tough the security was. He could easily go there if he had to force his way. However, he knew that it was bad since it could alert everyone.

The Goddess of Water was going to escape before he could even reach the City Lord's Mansion.

The further he went, the more he saw the scholars talking about the City Lord.

"I've never seen her, but I heard that she's a very clever person! Is she really attending this time?"

"Not just clever, she is also very beautiful. Some even say that she's the most beautiful woman in the Northern Realm! I really can't wait to see her!"

Almost half the scholars that Gabriel saw were talking about the City Lord. And the ones who weren't talking about it also revealed a look of interest in their eyes.

"The City Lord is coming herself, huh..." He muttered, as he slowed down.

A thought flashed in his mind. Since she was coming here already, he didn't need to go to her Mansion either. He could simply wait for her here.

At least that's what he thought. However, after half an hour, he noticed that the streets were getting cleared. Everyone was being sent away, as if they wanted empty streets for the arrival of their City Lord and other Important Guests.

Not a single person was allowed to be outside here. Moreover, the entire city was covered in a formation that made it impossible for anyone to hide in space.

Gabriel didn't leave with the others. However, he also didn't fight. He looked towards the mansion that was being used to host the Scholarly Meeting.

Even though his disguise didn't make him actually appear like a scholar, but that didn't make him hesitate.

"Why go through all this effort? Just raze the city to the ground. No need to make it so complicated."

Gabriel had only taken a single step when he heard Karyk's voice.

However, Gabriel shook his head. "I think differently than you. I don't want to kill people not associated with her if I don't have to. Moreover, I don't want to give her a chance to escape."

"Don't tell me you're starting to awaken your morality now, after killing so many people..."

Back in the Palace, Karyk was lying on the bed. He had quite a complicated look on his face.

None of them was pure. He had killed so many innocent people as collateral that he had already lost the count. No matter what, if it led him to his goal, he was ready to do anything.

Gabriel also had a lot of blood on his hands, even before he awakened his memory.

That's why Karyk found those words to be quite ironic. However, he didn't have any interest in forcing Gabriel. In his eyes, they were two different people now.

Even though they could talk, that was the extent of it.

Gabriel stepped closer to the Mansion where the meeting of the Scholars was to take place.

Most of the prominent Scholars were all issued an invitation which allowed them an easy entry. However, entry to the ones without the invitation wasn't banned either. It's just that they had to prove that they were indeed scholars with a vast amount of knowledge.

As Gabriel stepped closer to the mansion, the guards first looked at his attire. Even though Gabriel's clothes were also spotless, for some reason, the guards didn't feel that he was actually a scholar.

"You don't have an invitation, do you?" The guard asked. "I suppose you'll be taking the test in that case? Unless you came here by accident and have no interest in attending the Scholar's meet?"

undefinedGabriel nodded in response. Even though he didn't know what the test was, he just had to stay here until the Goddess of Water arrived here.

He followed the guards to the side, where a board was placed. On the board, there were over a hundred riddles placed.

Amongst those hundred, ten were clarified as unsolvable, thirty were classified as almost impossible to solve and the rest were hard and averaged difficulty.

To get an entry, one only had to answer any two of the hundred riddles successfully.

"Solve any two of them, and you shall be granted an entry," The guard informed Gabriel.

Looking at Gabriel, the guards didn't really expect him to be able to answer any. Even they themselves didn't know the answer to any of them. They only had a list which contained the answers of most of them, at least the ones that were solved in the past.

"Any two?" Gabriel looked at the riddles on the board. Even though there were some that he didn't know the answer to, amongst the riddles, he knew the answer to most of them.

This test was very easy for him. He nodded, and selected the first riddle on the board, not knowing that they were classified by their difficulty.

Gabriel went forward and gave an answer to the first two riddles right away, without even taking much time.

The two Guards looked at each other in confusion. Even they didn't know the answer to the two riddles so they couldn't even know if he was correct or not. However they also couldn't prove that he was wrong.

They both looked at each other, not knowing what to do. In the end, one of the guards came up with an idea.

"Alright. Solve the last two then!"

If they didn't have the answer to the top two, they just had to make sure that Gabriel wasn't giving any random answers. They told him to solve what they knew.

To their surprise, Gabriel once again gave the answer. If the top ones were hard, then the bottom ones were the easiest.

Both the guards were taken aback. It was clear that Gabriel wasn't answering nonsense.

'Does that mean his top two answers were correct as well?' one of the guards thought, as he noted the answers that Gabriel had given, making sure to tell this to the City Lord, who came up with these riddles herself!

At the same time, they allowed Gabriel an entry into the premise, where all the Scholars were already seated.

Some of the scholars were still talking about how they were going to meet the City Lord, while getting acquainted with the others while the rest were standing alone, keeping their distance from the others as if worried about being tainted by them.

As Gabriel entered, he gathered quite a lot of attention, unintentionally, especially since he didn't look much like a Scholar.

"Do they allow any dog to enter this place as well? Did you bribe the guards?" One of the Scholars asked as he stepped closer to Gabriel, having a hand fan in his hand.

"You're right. They do allow dogs to enter this place. To think that you would have so much self awareness about yourself..." Gabriel calmly responded, shaking his head lightly.

He didn't want to interact with the people here. He just had to wait for the Goddess of Water to arrive so she couldn't escape him. Everyone else wasn't worth his attention.

Gabriel walked past the Scholar, whose face was red. As a Scholar, he didn't want to act vulgarly by fighting. However, he did remember Gabriel's face.

Throughout the rest of the time, he kept using poems while sipping his tea, clearly targeting Gabriel with those poems. However, Gabriel remained seated, with his eyes closed as if he didn't have any intention of associating with anyone.

Half an hour passed, and a loud noise was heard outside. The entourage of the City Lord had finally arrived at the entrance of the mansion.

Most of the people who were still outside, despite the warning of the guards, were imprisoned and if they resisted, they were killed.

The Goddess of Water stepped out of the carriage, carrying a graceful presence. Her beautiful blue hair fluttered with the wind as she stepped down.

However, she wasn't alone. From her carriage, another girl stepped out.

The girl shared similar facial features to the Goddess of Water, but her aura was even stronger for some reason.

"Mother, I never understood why you like poetry so much? Isn't it just a pastime of weak people who can't grow stronger or do anything else that is useful with their lives?" The young girl asked, rolling her eyes.

"Your thinking is naive, little one. Knowledge is never useless." The Goddess of Water stated, as she started laughing.

From another carriage, a young man also stepped out. The man appeared charming, and had a robe that carried the symbol of the Northern General's mansion. However, no weapon could be seen on him.

"That's correct. Strength without knowledge is nothing but an arrow without aim..." He stepped closer to the two ladies, joining them.

"Your father isn't a Scholar, is he?" The Young Girl rolled her eyes. "No matter how much knowledge one has, can they go against the Northern General?"

"Are you saying that all my father has is strength?" The young man laughed in response. "The reason my father rules the Northern Realm is because he has strength, as well as knowledge!"

"A weak yet knowledgeable man can still win against a strong yet ignorant man through schemes! Many great warriors have fallen like that. But my father is different. He just doesn't have strength but he's the smartest person I know."

The young man appeared somewhat proud as he talked about his father, the Northern General!

"All schemes are useless before absolute strength!" The young girl still refused to agree to what her mother and the son of the Northern General was saying.

undefinedShe rolled her eyes and followed her mother to the entrance of the mansion.

However, as soon as the three of them stepped closer to the entrance, one of the guards approached the Goddess of Water.

He told the City Lord about Gabriel, saying that there was a man who had supposedly solved one of the top two riddles.

As soon as the Goddess of Water heard the information, she also revealed some surprise on her face.

She didn't expect someone to actually solve the riddle! Everyone thought that this riddle was created by her, but only she knew who actually made that riddle! Even she had never been able to solve it.

She took the sheet of paper from the guard and looked at the answers!

Looking at the answers, she revealed a look of surprise. Even though she didn't know the answer herself, the answers that were given made sense to her. They didn't appear to be nonsense.

"Who was that Scholar? Someone from the Northern Academy? Was it Qian Ye, their topper? I heard a lot about him. Did he come here as well?"

"Ah, yes. Senior Qian came here. However, he entered with an invitation and didn't answer any questions. The person who answered didn't have an invitation," the guard explained.

"Oh?" The Goddess of Water frowned. "To think that there would be a guest like that... Let me see who it is, that can answer what I can't..."

The Goddess of Water revealed a look of curiosity for the first time in her life, which she didn't often reveal.

The guard opened the door, allowing them entrance. On the other hand, the son of Northern General looked slightly upset, to see the Goddess of Water praise another man, since he had a crush on her and wanted to make her his woman!

Not only the Goddess of Water, but he also wanted to monopolize his daughter for himself as well. His wish was to marry both mother and daughter. That's why he was putting so much effort.

Inside the Massive Hall, Gabriel was sitting on a table. There was a glass of wine before him, but he hadn't taken even a single sip.

"To think that she would use the riddle that you spoke nonchalantly..." In his head, he was talking to Karyk.

The reason he was easily able to answer the top two riddles was because they were spoken by Karyk in the past. He didn't expect the Goddess of Water to use the same.

"Knowledge without understanding is nothing but ignorance. I doubt even she knew the answer to that..." Karyk shook his head lightly.

However, just as he finished speaking, he felt the door opening.

He stopped talking and sat straight, thinking that it was time for the medicine to be delivered. However, to his surprise, it wasn't the maid who entered.

The person who stepped inside was none other than the Northern General himself!

"Looks like you're doing good." The Northern General took a lazy glance at Karyk.

He didn't notice a single trace of killing intent in Karyk's eyes since Karyk hid it so well.

"Get ready tomorrow. Early morning, we'll be leaving this place!"

"Where are we going?" Karyk answered, seemingly confused.

"That's not for you to worry about. Just be up on time."

The Northern General left after only saying that one thing. However, as he left, Karyk couldn't help but wonder if it was finally time for him to enter the Central World! He didn't have to hide any longer! The time was finally here!

In another place, the door of the massive hall opened and the soldiers of the City Lord entered the hall, protecting the three people who entered after them.

Almost all the Scholars stood up, at the sight of the Goddess of Water and her daughter. Looking at the two women, they were in a daze.

They had heard rumors about their beauty, but they realized that the rumors had still underestimated their beauty. They had seen many beautiful women, but the Goddess of Water was long a fairy walking on the land.

Even Gabriel was looking at them, but his expressions were different. He wasn't looking at them because he was appreciating their beauty.

Because he had some memories of Karyk, he remembered the Goddess of Water. Even though a thousand years had passed, she still looked the same as he remembered her to be.

The passage of the hadn't left the slightest mark on her.

However, what surprised him was the girl next to the Goddess of Water, who looked somewhat similar to her. He didn't know that the Goddess of Water had a daughter as well!

On the other side, he also noticed a man that he didn't recognise. However, it was clear that the man was associated with the Northern General, because of the clothes he wore.

While Gabriel was looking at them, one of the guards pointed at him, while speaking something to the Goddess of Water.

After that

, Gabriel saw the Goddess of Water looking at him. Her daughter and the son of the Northern General also looked in his direction, which slightly surprised him.

The three of them walked towards him, amidst the watchful eyes of all the Scholars present there, who wondered why Gabriel attracted their attention.

The Goddess of Water stepped closer to Gabriel, carrying a calm visage.

If Gabriel didn't know better, he would've thought that she truly was a kind soul who could never scheme against anyone else! It was as if she didn't have the slightest ill intentions for anyone else in her heart.

It made sense why she had managed to gain the praise of everyone else. With the way she carried herself, accompanied by her beauty and her talents, it was easy for her to become a City Lord.

The Goddess of Water stopped before Gabriel.

undefined"I heard you answered my riddles?" she asked.

'Yours?' Gabriel thought, but didn't react.

He simply nodded, as he glanced at the son of Northern General and the girl on the other side of the Goddess of Water.

Finally this woman was close to him. There was no need to waste any more time.

"How did you know the answer to these? Did you come up with them yourself?" The woman asked.

"The answer was given to me by an old friend," Gabriel answered.

"Hah, so you cheated!" The son of the Northern General scoffed. "Just to get inside, you pretended to be smart by using borrowed answers?"

The young girl also rolled her eyes.

The Goddess of Water frowned, as she gestured for the young man to stop mocking Gabriel.

"Who is that friend? Can I meet him?" the woman asked.

"I'm afraid my friend also wants to meet you and reminisce about the old times. Albeit, he's busy with something else. So I came here to help him."

"Reminisce?" The Goddess of Water asked, getting curious. "Do I know him? To think that I knew such a talent and didn't even know about it. Who is it?"

"This..." Gabriel revealed a little hesitation. "I can't tell you about it in front of everyone else. Can we talk in private?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Why can't you talk about him in the open?" The son of the Northern General exclaimed, thinking that Gabriel was using this as an excuse to get some alone time with the City Lord and to increase his reputation.

Even the Daughter of Goddess of Water looked at Gabriel with a disgusted gaze. She could see that Gabriel was using the friend as an excuse to increase his reputation. How many people could claim that they talked to her mother in private after all!

If given an opportunity, everyone here would've been rushing to talk to her mother alone.

Even the soldiers and the others were stunned at Gabriel's atrocious behavior.

"You can tell here. I don't think I have a friend that I need to keep a secret." The Goddess of Water smiled beautifully, thinking the same as her daughter.

She thought that Gabriel was taking this opportunity to try to flirt with her.

"Are you sure? I don't know how the people here will react if they find out that you were friends with the Death Star that is responsible for so many lives lost?" Gabriel commented.

As soon as the name was mentioned, almost everyone was stunned. Not many people knew about the past of the Goddess of Water, but almost everyone hated Karyk.

"You're spouting nonsense!" The daughter of the Goddess of Water roared. She couldn't take someone trying to defame her mother.

She didn't even think twice before she raised her sword, a layer of water surrounded which. However, to her surprise, before she could even move, a figure came out from her shadow.

Deep blue flames surrounded her, sending her flying back.

Her figure crashed on the distant wall, flying past the guards.

"How can you forget an old friend that easily?" Gabriel asked, keeping his attention on the Goddess of Water as his disguise disappeared, revealing his true visage.

The Goddess of Water had her pupils shrink in fear.

Even the son of the Northern General, who has been arrogant all this time, took a step back in fear.

Gabriel's shadow became bigger and multiple Death Generals came out of the shadow. The guards who were monetarily frozen were slaughtered by the Death Generals while the Scholars were allowed to escape.

The Scholar who had a conflict with Gabriel found his legs to be trembling in fear. Only he knew how he left the place, covered in sweat. He couldn't believe he was about to try to teach a lesson to the Death Star after the Soholar meeting.

"I see you're putting my riddles to a good use here. It just feels good, right!?" Gabriel asked, as he reached out his hand, touching the fair cheeks of the Goddess of Water.

The Goddess of Water was momentarily frozen but she soon came out of her daze.

Her figure turned into water that fell to the ground.

At the same time, outside the Mansion, the real Goddess of Water appeared. She used a special stone, and crushed it to open a portal to escape without leaving a trace.

She also brought her daughter with her. As for the son of the Northern General, he was left behind.

"Going somewhere?" Gabriel also appeared outside the Mansion. He created a spear of light in his left hand, and tossed it toward the spatial formation before it could activate.

The aura of light destabilized the spatial formation. The Goddess of Water knew she had to act fast. She chanted a spell and a water shield enveloped her and her daughter as they leaped through the unstable portal.

However, to her surprise, someone else also entered the portal with them.

Gabriel followed after them. He didn't worry about the instability of the portal or what he was going to find on the other side.

Initially, the Portal would've led to the Northern General's mansion or another secure place where the woman could feel safe. However, with the destabilization of the Spatial Postal, it was almost impossible for it to lead to the right destination! That left nothing for Gabriel to worry about.

On the other side, a portal opened up and the Goddess of Water fell out with her daughter.

Only a second after, Gabriel also stepped out, with his clean clothes fluttering with the wind.