Albion looked at the human before him. If it were before, he would think this person had an illusion of grandeur. After all, all the planes in the Astral Realm spent their entire existence and history chasing the shadows of the Magus Race and never even seeing with close view.
Yet, some humans dare to say he would create an era even more glorious than theirs. However, Albion cannot shake off the feeling that he might pull it off. Although this feeling was absurd in all senses of the word, he believed it.
So, after pondering for a moment, he said: "Fine, I agree with your terms. However, I still need something in return."
"Very well," said Edward with a smile. "I will give you all the resources you need to reach Tier 8."
Albion was currently Tier 5, so this offer was satisfactory to him.
"This is not enough."
"Oh, do you have something in mind?"
"I want you to take me to your next voyage," said Albion. "I want to see what is outside the Astral Realm."
Edward considered for a moment, "I agree, but you still can not return to the Astral Realm."
"That's fine."
Edward nodded. As long as the Dragon Temple and other Dragon Gods could not find Albion's location, everything would be fine. In the early stages, he was extremely weak, so he was more careful than normal.
However, now, the Empire was a Tier 10 Civilization–albeit a weak one compared to these Tier 10 Gods and Entities who have dozens of planes of the same level under their control.
Regardless, the Arcane Empire still has ways to protect itself. And after the war, they can gather more resources to build a few more Tier 10 Floating Cities.
After making the agreement, Albion did not go back to his words. He linked his soul to Edward, preparing to send the information to his mind. The dragon was nervous since he knew such an act would trigger a negative reaction from his bloodline.
And as expected, as soon as he began the transfer, he felt something activated deep in his bloodline and soul. However, the backlash he expected did not come.
It was like the Bloodline Source knew he had committed a taboo but could not find his location.
"It really works,' thought Albion, feeling relieved. Although he believed Edward's words, a part of him was still scared. After all, all dragons with a pure enough bloodline will have an instinctive fear and respect for the Source.
After sighing in relief, he continued his transmission. The process took a while as Albion also transferred his understanding of the [Thunder Dragon Character], allowing Edward to wield as soon as possible.
After the process ended, Edward did not back on his words and ordered a golem to bring back the resources Albion needed.
"One last thing before I leave. How many kings does your clan have, and what is their attribute?"
The dragon hesitated for a moment before deciding to answer. He realized his relationship with Edward might be the key that ensured the survival of the dragon race in the future.
And with his help, the dragon might thrive under the Arcane Empire and reach heights they could only dream about.
"Let's see, there is water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, darkness, space, time, poison, life, death, and destruction. And before my death, I heard Order and Chaos King might be appearing soon."
"Hum, each of the Dragon Kings has a character that corresponds to their attribute. So, the Dragon of Origin, the source of your bloodline, should be the one who controls all the characters."
"How do you know about Father?"
"Father? Is that how you address and view him?"
Albion remained quiet. Although he decides to trust this human and even has high hopes for the future, there are certain things he cannot immediately let go of.
"Nevermind," said Edward after seeing the dragon's reaction. "You suddenly said new kings were being born?"
"Yes, and what is it?"
"Could it be that your clan chose certain individuals to become Gods and control certain [Authority]? Then, based on the authority, create a King Bloodline and Dragon Character for the Clan."
Albion did not answer, but his silence spoke louder than words.
"If that's true, my opinions of your clans have improved."
"And what exactly did you think of us?"
"A bunch of overgrown lizards with wings that relied only on their potent bloodline and had no desire for improvement or change.
"Well, there is also your greed for shiny things and uncontrollable lust."
Albion was speechless since the latter was completely correct. Before the rise of the Magus Race, their dragon race was exactly like this. However, the Magus Race treated them like pets and experimental materials, thus destroying their pride.
So, after their departure, their Father encouraged them to change, improve, and strive toward a unified goal.
"You should check your prejudice," said Albion, keeping his face unchanged to hide his embarrassment. Edward gave him a look before leaving.
He went to see the Water Dragon King. This one was in a worse situation than Albion since Edward had no foundation of trust with her. As such, she was in a sleeping state, not even Tier 2, after so many years.
The negotiation with her was fierce, and Edward had to spend a lot of time talking her into it. Finally, she accepted his offer; however, she was not like Albion, privy to certain secrets.
She only accepted the deal because she believed she could use this opportunity to contact the Bloodline Source and tell someone of her situation. Unfortunately, her plan failed.
And with Edward's Soul Contract, he could forcibly take the information from her mind.
Finally, Edward returned to Earth, preparing to study the Water and Thunder Characters in an attempt to control these two authorities. His plan is also to study the Death Staff with Bellatrix to gain control of Death Law.
Iku Star System, Desolate Planet:
A lich knelt on the ground before Guzznad, who sat on his throne:
"So, even this plan failed, huh?" His tone was calm, but the lich had been with his liege for so long that he recognized the anger and frustration hidden deep inside.
The lick knew to remain quiet in such a scenario, so he did not say anything.
"You seem to have something to say," said Guzznad, looking at his attendant, whose body trembled after hearing these words. However, his lips remained tight.
"Go on with it, and don't make me repeat myself."
"My Lord, I just don't think it was a…good idea to ally with an Abyss Lord. Once the Gods know of this, there will be no place for you in this plane."
Guzznad was quiet; he also did not want to use the power of the Abyss. However, the Empire was very sensitive to his power of death. So, for this plan to work, he needed to corrupt one of the Arcanists and could not use his own power.
"We don't have much time left, and we need to hurry," explained Guzznad. "As for the Abyss? Once I conquer this galaxy and get my hands on what I want, no one will know what I did."
The Lich opened his mouth and closed it. In his mind, things would never be this simple. However, since the deed had been done, there was no point in dwelling on it.
Guzznad glanced at his attendant before saying, "Prepare to move. We don't want the Arcane Empire to react to this next operation. Better yet, we need to prepare to deal them a great blow if they do."
"As you wish," said the Lich before slowly walking out of the room, his head remaining in a low position, walking backward without daring to gaze upon his Lord.