Deep within a mountain range, towards the south, stood a peculiar mountain. Its top had been seemingly cut, creating a flat platform, like a plateau.
Multiple cracks and gorges filled this strange environment, and in this mayhem, stood a dark skinned man. He wore a blindfold over his eyes as he wielded a sword that constantly changed its shape and size in his left hand, whilst his right kept making multiple gestures. It was like his mind was so engrossed in something that his hand unconsciously worked to aid it.
Suddenly, his aura spiked. He turned, and his sword morphed into an intricate spear, which a hurled some meters above him.
The spear made a whistling sound when it raced through the air, as the magic imbued within it gave it a brownish tint, before suddenly stopping. The air around the spear shimmered a bit, before a man with shoulder level golden hair revealed himself. He had a cheeky yet jovial smile on his face as his two fingers tightly clenched the weapon between them.
"You know, it's starting to get annoying the way you like sneaking up on me you pervert. "
The golden haired man gave an arrogant laugh as he waved the weapon that just tried to kill him around, " Oh come on, don't be like that. We both know that you like it when I do that. "
The dark skinned man scowled but didn't say anything. He made a ' give me' gesture and the man chuckled as he tossed the spear back to him. "At least you've gotten better. When you first started a few years ago, you couldn't even get a whiff of my aura. At least now, you can sense me when i intentionally make some mistakes. "
The man didn't respond before he turned back around. It took him a moment to find his rhythm again, but he eventually continued his routine. The golden haired man watched for a moment before he lay on the sky, kicking his legs randomly into the air. "I'm so glad that you're such a training maniac. It's been so peaceful raising you, I didn't suffer at all. Your mind is set on becoming the next king. I admire you a lot for that."
Still no response.
The golden haired man smiled widely for a bit before revealing," I'm sure you'd be glad to know that there's been a change in the situation. The last piece of the Hunting Games has fallen into place. Bane, we can start moving. Your dream to rule over all monsters, starts now. "
The dark skinned man finally paused. He didn't react for a moment before slowly reaching for his blindfold and pulling it off.
Without it, his three multi-colored eyes were revealed to the world. The centermost being green, the one on the left- blue and the right - red.
The moment they revealed themselves, a violent aura exploded out of him. The creature turned towards the man relaxing on the sky as though it were his bed, that calm, confident look ever present on his face, a sharp contrast to his violent fighting spirit.
His aura was like a violent clash between mighty beings. It represented battle at its peak, expressing his inherent nature to conquer. "Great Sage, The Equal Of Heaven," he begun. Even the intensity of his words had changed, adding a distinct layer of danger and gravitas.
He knew who the being he was speaking to was but he didn't care. His words were like a warning, a sign that he could attack at any moment. " Tell me the truth. Enough of your jokes and carelessness. Show me the General who was once a god, that fought side by side with the original. "
The golden haired man smiled, but there was a touch of solemnity in his expression now. " I would not lie about this. Not after all that effort and time I've invested into preparing you. Don't ever doubt the determination of a former god."
The man called Bane relaxed for a bit but that edge to battle never left his eyes. " So, it finally begins. After all these years. " He turned towards his patron. " Tell me everything. All the details. I wanna know everything."
It took a few minutes, but the Sage recounted everything that he knew about the situation. Bane took everything straight faced, without showing much emotion. " You know I'm quite suprised that you're not more upset. Afterall, Renova would've eventually beconme your suborindate once you eat the others.
Bane shrugged before continuing, " Her death doesn't really change much. She was a usefull asset, but I can get more. There's no need to waste time and effort on something that already gone. "
He pondered for a few moments before continuing. " This new guy, Cabal was it. His ability to devour could allow him to quickly reach my level. It could take a few decades, but he'd cathc up very quickly. I think we should prioritize finding him. With our connections, it shouldn't be too hard. "
Monkey, who was once known as Sun Wukong shook his head, " You're a great fighter and an even better student, but sometimes you don't look so far ahead. Think about it. This new challenger is smart, smart to be able to deal with the forces that I sent to Renova's domain covertly. Do you really think he'd stay within a place that he wasn't sure would be able to ensure his safety. I figure that if he hadn't already moved into the human world, he'd have gone in search of a remote location where he can quietly develop. We can find him, no matter where he goes, but the time wasted would hamper your growth.
" I say we focus on the other inheritors for now. He'll grow, yes, but his growth will not outstrip yours if we use my method. Of course , the others will also be prepared. Some like Carley and Prima might try to hide, so we'll focus on the others. Your top priority should be Memoire and Barragav who possess transformations and memories. "
Bane nodded as an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. " Very well, let's begin."
His aura that had been active for a while fluctuated and the half mountain he stood on crumbled.
........
In the 1st Kingdom in the human territory.
The capital of the 1st Kingdom was full of majestic buildings that radiated the wealth and power that befits the strongest nation of humans in the world. The castle at the center consisted of many ramparts and towers. At one of the towers towards the south was a balcony that faced the desert.
Said balcony was connected to an extravagant room with plush carpets and a diamond chandelier hanging from its ceiling. The walls carried paintings that instilled peace into whoever gazed at them. And a king sized bed lay in the corner of the room, covered in delicate sheets.
Unfortunately, this comfortable room was covered in dust, as though it hadn't been used in a long time. A woman with auburn hair stood on the balcony. Her entire focus was on the desert. Her gaze seemed able to look beyond the walls that surrounded the kingdom and into the horizon, where her entire figure seemed to yearn for something.
She wore a beautiful silken robe that exacerbated her sensual figure. Her beauty itself could be considered otherworldly, making it difficult for any man to keep their eyes off her.
There was a knock on the door, before a maid covered in a veil walked in and bowed. " My Queen," she begun.
" I bring news from the Skyless Guild -"
" They failed didn't they, " she interrupted. Even her voice was appealing. It disrupted the mind and made you want to focus only on her.
The maid was stumped for a moment and her mouth opened and shut a number of times. "H-how did you know. A-are you perhaps -"
The Supreme Queen chuckled as she finally turned away from the view. " You're so innocent Maria, thats why i like you. The other butlers and maids can't be in my presence for long because of their sinful thoughts, " she shook her head reproachfully before continuing, " I like you just the way you are. Don't ever change ok ."
She smiled before walking over and sitting on the dusty bed. A melancholic look appeared in her eyes as she gazed at the sheets. "To answer your question. No, I'm no psychic. It's just a matter of logic. If the guild had succeeded, I would've long since heard from them. They wouldn't have waited for so long to inform me."
She raised her head at that point. That look on her face made her look so pitiful that you'd instantly wanna go comfort her. She sighed at that point.
" Maria, when do you think i'll gain the power to challenge the Head Chief. "
The new maid shook her head in ignorance, causing her boss to nod," Oh thats right you don't understand what i'm saying. "
Her gaze went towards the desert again. " Even during the war, he was unstoppable. Not even my late husband - The Slumbering Emperor, could match him. I thought that by gaining additional assets i would finally be able to suppress him, but now that i think about it, it may not be that simple. A man who has lived undefeated for so long can't be triumphed over by numbers. "
She stood and made her way out of the room. " Come along Maria, i have a feeling. A storm is about to hit these lands, and old monsters might start to move again after so long. We might wanna go get ready. "