The room itself became fully dark, not a single drop of light being able to be seen as Raven extended the realm of darkness itself into the room. But to Azrail, the one of Death itself, the darkness just felt like another ally as his senses started to spread around the room to find Raven's presence.
And thus, with a shift to the right, a tentacle of darkness that was aiming for his heart was missed. He waved the sword in his right hand forward as the darkness itself split apart, Azrail's eyes shining forth with the ability to see all souls as he located Raven moving all around, her hands filled with two swords coming from his back.
Tring!
The sound of their swords clashing was heard out, Azrail's eyes blinking as he let out a subtle mental flow out of his mind, quickly hitting Raven who took a step back. But she wasn't one to break, as she too tried to repeat the same action, releasing a small wave to counterattack the drowsiness in her mind.
Yet the starting attack of Azrail already gave him the split-second chance that he needed. His left free hand, burning with a purple flame, hit upon Raven, flying her through this room of darkness. Yet no sound of a hit was heard out as the darkness itself, the shadow coming forth to swirl Raven in a sleep-like embrace, as the power of the attack slowed down. This content originates from n0v3lbin•
Even then, Astrid did its job beautifully as the purple flame left its mark of hit within Raven, who used the darkness to go into hiding, which once again is useless. But Azrail's thoughts changed when he felt her presence moving erratically all around, using the shadows as her playground to make her position static.
'She is catching on quickly...'
Azrail thought as he kept seeing Raven's presence come and disappear. Then, a humongous pressure fell upon Azrail's shoulder, this realm of darkness and shadows themselves coming forth to apply pressure on Azrail, to keep him in check.
That's not the end, as thousands of shadow tendrils broke through and started to crawl all over Azrail, clamping him tight. From those tendrils, soon the very mental attack that he had given before started to be released, their gentle hums filling his mental state to break his barrier.
That wasn't even the end as Azrail felt the countless swords coming at him from all directions. The hint of despair, an element of extreme mental breaking, and pain covered above them all as they fell upon him.
"Better but not perfect," Azrail spoke out as he blasted forth with Astrid at full force, his body now fully covered with the purple flames forming a beautiful yet regal cloak over him, one of a ruler.
The room once shrouded in impenetrable darkness, now bore witness to a breathtaking display of power. As Azrail unleashed the full force of Astrid, the purple flames erupted from his being, swirling and dancing in a mesmerizing symphony. The cloak of regal purple fire cascaded down from his shoulders, its ethereal beauty an enchanting sight that seemed to command the very essence of flames.
The words of Azrail only did to lighten the pressure on Raven as she lightly smiled.
"Thank you, master, I will try to improve on myself."
Raven spoke to which Azrail replied.
"Don't worry about it, we will work on it together."
Azrail understands that Raven is a blessed monster. While she will have his fighting sense and more, to apply it fully with her mind would mean she would need to battle more, to truly fully extend the wills of her gifts. The show right now was just her basically using 10% of her powers. With correct practice and guidance, she will show what kind of monster she truly is.
"Come, let's fight more."
With such words, Azrail began his guidance of Raven, the two of them having fun.
...
2 Days Later:
"We are here?"
Azrail asked the kneeling Nayan now stuck piloting the big body he is in. He uses a decoy while the original one just went to sleep, the one in front of Azrail looking like a very crazy scientist with doctor-like wrapping all over him, the puppet itself being 2 meters tall and filled with a crazy feeling all around him.
"We are right underground."
Nayan replied, to which Azrail nodded his head, his body flashing from the Realm Scrapper as he appeared right outside the humongous royal floating city.
'Guess it's time....'
The Royal City of Xianthar of the Rexion Empire stood as a testament to the grandeur of the human empire, a marvel in the lower realm that commanded respect and admiration from all who laid eyes upon it. Nestled within a valley surrounded by mist-covered mountains, the city's imposing walls stretched far and wide, a symbol of strength and prosperity, larger than a whole country.
As travelers approached the city, the first sight that greeted them was the majestic Jade Gate, an enormous archway made of precious jade stones, each intricately carved with scenes depicting the empire's rich history. Beyond the gate, the city unfolded like a sprawling tapestry of life and culture. This content originates from n0v3lbin•
The streets, lined with bustling market stalls and vibrant storefronts, were a mosaic of colors and aromas. The citizens of Xianthar moved with purpose, their attire reflecting the diversity of the lower realm's cultures. Vendors peddled exotic fruits, rare herbs, and mystical artifacts believed to enhance one's Qi cultivation. The air hummed with the melodic sounds of street performers and the chatter of merchants haggling with customers, this of course being towards the lower cultivators.
The city's architecture was a harmonious blend of traditional Qi cultivation elements and modern innovation. Towers adorned with glowing runes reached towards the sky, channels of Qi energy flowing through them like veins of power. Floating platforms traversed the air, connecting different levels of the city and providing efficient transportation for its inhabitants.
Xianthar's most prominent feature was the Celestial Spire, a colossal structure at the city's heart that served as the epicenter of Qi cultivation knowledge, and education. The spire's exterior shimmered with an ethereal glow, its surface covered in intricate patterns that seemed to dance with the Qi energy coursing through the city.
In the central square, a massive statue of the empire's founding emperor stood tall and proud. His outstretched hand held a crystal orb, a representation of the empire's unity and strength. The statue was surrounded by a serene garden, a sanctuary of tranquility amidst the bustling city.
The Royal Palace, an architectural masterpiece, dominated the skyline. Its golden spires reached towards the heavens, each tier adorned with precious gems that reflected the sunlight in a dazzling display. The palace sprawled over acres of meticulously manicured gardens and shimmering ponds, the surrounding landscape a testament to the empire's mastery over Qi manipulation.
The streets of the Radiant Quarter were paved with exquisite marble, polished to a reflective sheen that mirrored the towering structures around them. Grand archways adorned with gilded accents marked the entrances to extravagant mansions, each a testament to the wealth and status of its owner. Lush gardens, meticulously manicured, added a touch of nature's beauty to the opulent surroundings.
The Radiant Quarter was a symphony of colors, with banners and pennants displaying the noble crests of prominent families fluttering in the gentle breeze. Vibrant flowers of rare varieties graced the meticulously designed flowerbeds, creating a mesmerizing palette that dazzled the eye. The air was scented with the fragrance of rare blossoms, a luxurious aroma that whispered of refinement and prestige.
The architecture in this sector surpassed even the grandeur of the rest of Xianthar. Mansions were adorned with golden filigree, and spires reached toward the sky, their tips seemingly brushing against the clouds. Balconies overlooked the city, offering panoramic views of the bustling streets below. Intricate sculptures, crafted by the most skilled artisans, adorned public spaces, celebrating the achievements of the empire's noble bloodlines.
The centerpiece of the Radiant Quarter was the Imperial Villa, a sprawling estate that rivaled the Royal Palace in size and grandiosity. Its fa?ade was a masterpiece of architectural ingenuity, with golden domes and crystal-clear windows that caught the sunlight, creating a dazzling display. The gardens surrounding the villa were a botanical marvel, featuring exotic plants and mystical fountains that seemed to dance in harmony.
Within the Imperial Villa, the chambers were adorned with tapestries of silk and precious metals. Each room told a story of the empire's glory, its rise to power, and the exploits of the noble families that had played pivotal roles. Ballrooms hosted grand galas, where nobles adorned in resplendent attire mingled and danced to music played by skilled ensembles.
In the Radiant Quarter, every resident seemed to exude an air of regality. Nobles, their robes embellished with gold and jewels, moved gracefully through the streets. Servants clad in luxurious livery attended to their every need, ensuring that the nobility lived a life of unparalleled comfort.
The markets in this district catered to the discerning tastes of the elite. Rare artifacts, enchanted relics, and exquisite jewelry were displayed in boutiques that rivaled the grandeur of the Imperial Villa. Merchants, chosen for their impeccable craftsmanship, vied for the favor of noble patrons, offering wares that promised to enhance their status and prestige.
The Radiant Quarter was not just a residential and commercial hub, it was a political nexus. Noble families, each with their own intricate web of alliances and rivalries, maneuvered for power and influence. The Grand Assembly Hall, a marvel of architectural elegance, served as the meeting place where these influential figures convened to discuss matters of state.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the Radiant Quarter, and Azrail kept gazing at it all with a light smile as the wind of the skies kept caressing his face, now from this is where he would begin his first movements toward his domination, the centerpiece of the Rexion Empire where struggles of powers thrive and now a new player has entered the board.
Azrail's eyes took in the entire beautiful royal city that spread till eyes could not see, one huge enough to match the size of a country. With that, Azrail took out his chariot, the very one he used to travel to the desert before, entering inside it as he started to maneuver it to the entrance of the city.
The city itself has its own protection that makes it such that one cannot simply enter inside it. But if Azrail really wanted to, he was capable of doing it. But for now, he needs the publicity and the information of his entering inside to spread. Thus, with beautiful grace, Azrail's chariot started to descend down towards the entrance gate.
One huge enough to cover and touch the skies, different entrances matching for different standings of people, and the guards themselves standing at the gate being at the cultivation of Core Forming Realm, their presence powerful yet silent, spreading all around the center of the gate. The arrival of Azrail at such a beautiful yet extremely expensively powerful chariot only brought a sense of chaos to the gathering.
With the gates themselves being filled with a number of people entering and leaving, the complete attention focused on Azrail's arrival. Thus, with royal-like attention, Azrail's chariot arrived in front of the gate, floating itself above the ground to the entrance towards the Radiant Quarter section of the Xianthar city. This content originates from n0v3lbin•
The powerful guards at the front started to move towards the chariot yet no hesitancy was displayed from them. They were smart enough to understand the fact that anyone arriving like Azrail is, they are one not to be messed around with. Thus, with respect, one of the guards knocked on the window, letting Azrail open it up.
The presence of the stunningly beautiful child, one that looks divine enough to make the gods look at him once more, appeared to the eyes of the cultivator. For a moment, his eyes went into a daze, the ability of constant beauty presence around him, a part that Azrail inherited from his connection with Valencia already making the man his slave in mind.
'This is quite good.'
Azrail mused. In fact, he has his own way of fully brainwashing or mind manipulation using his mind realm. But this ability around Azrail is one that anyone without hard will or of lesser cultivation than him would either go into a daze or will fall helplessly for him just at a gaze at him, though this does not mean he can control his mind.
'A fucking useless thing of making others addicted.'
"Azrail, son of Yun, wishes to enter the royal city."
Azrail spoke, while giving an identification badge to the man who quickly broke out of his daze when Azrail completely reeled in the aura of beauty that was leaving him, keeping it completely suppressed. Normally, he does it, but had let it out in the days when he spent back in the Realm Scrapper.
"Ah!....yes!"
The soldier replied, his mind no doubt still shocked looking at the divine boy whose looks are enough to put the whole world to shame. Thus, the guard walked to the identification marker, placing the badge itself, and the information that was displayed quickly made the man's eyes wide. He quickly started to sweat in his position as he ran back to the chariot of Azrails, bowing like a loyal servant as he spoke.
"You may enter!"
His voice too turned an unnaturally high pitch, filling the entire gate area as the people gawked at the sight of the royal guards treating the entry as if he was the Emperor himself. Thus, hushed whispers and talks kept going around as the door to the Radiant Quarter started to open up, and Azrail easily entered the city, leaving behind a confused group.
Azrail replied as he started to walk inside with all his family, a fond smile gracing his face at the prospect of all these people awaiting his arrival and fearing for his life.
.....
"Mother, did you get any summons?"
Azrail asked after the feast, all of them together in a room for a family meeting and Azrail asked for it, he sat on a sofa, his sides being taken by Xuanyin and Valencia, both sticking close to him, while his mother and Raena sat in front of him, Raena eyed Valencia happily leaning onto him while his mother responded to his question.
"How can it not when you enter with such fanfare?"
His mother asked back with a helpless smile, though the cunningness in her eyes was the same as swirling within Azrail's eyes.
"How many?"
Azrail asked.
"Majority of the nobles and powers here and even the royal family just sent us a letter."
His mother said as she waved the letter in her hand, making Azrail smile to which Yun continued.
"They want to meet us as soon as possible, a friendly meeting with this super genius of the Empire. They even want to throw a ball for you."
These words only made Azrail chuckle as he responded.
"A ball by the royal family, how can we say no?"
These words prompted Raena to speak.
"You plan to use the name of the royal family to show the truth of your powers?"
The sudden words from Raena surprised Azrail, nonetheless, he replied.
"Not just that, I will be using your backing to create a beautiful story."
The original content can be pinpointed to n0v3lbin•
"Elaborate on your plan."
Raena spoke, light amusement in those eyes of hers as she said so. Seeing this, Azrail spoke.
"I plan to use your background to our advantage, to mention the fact that you two are from an extremely powerful place of the third heaven. When you came here, you realized my worth, took me in, and helped me awaken my true talent while also betrothing your daughter to me, seeing my boundless potential."
These wordings of Azrail's made Raena frown a bit, but she understood the idea behind the words that Azrail spoke.
"Make the whole lower realm wary of you and at the same time earn lots of power and recognition. Even the Empire itself will mellow their behavior towards you."
Raena spoke, her words making both Azrail and his mother nod their heads, and Azrail continued after this.
"An added bonus of this, you can also make things extremely complex for your husband too."
These final wordings of Azrail's made Raena chuckle a bit, those maddened eyes still hadn't mellowed, danced with a crazed glint as she spoke.
"You can continue."
"What I mean is the Empire itself is connected to some powers of the above heavens, and we can use someone of the connections within my grasp to make the supremely powerful powers connected to the third heaven pay attention to this."
These wordings brought the light of recognition back to Raena's eyes, her mind already understanding the route that Azrail was proposing.
"This is a very dangerous plan. You are talking about messing around with powers even within the third heaven. Are you even sure of what kind of play you are getting yourself into?"
As the last of her words sounded out, subtle killing intent leaked out of her, and as Yun was about to respond to it, Azrail shook his head at his mother as he focused fully on Raena, meeting her gaze with his own as he repeated his promise to her once again.
"My family is what is the most important to me, now and in the future. I won't be doing this if I am not sure of what I can achieve."
As the end of Azrail's words sounded out, his shadow wiggled, after which Raven stepped out, her presence alerting the rest. Just as she came out, his mother and Xuanyin went into a daze. Valencia easily deflected Raven's natural charm with hers, while Raena herself broke out of it quickly, her cultivation and will being enough for her not to fall into the natural charm of Raven.
"Raven, control your charm."
These words of Azrail led Raven to fully take her charm in hand, letting Yun and Xuanyin out of their dazes. Xuanyin's hands wrapped themselves around Azrail in a wary yet disturbed manner, while Azrail's mother looked at Raven with a hint of dread.
"Who is she?"
Yun asked, to which Azrail spoke.
"She is my shadow, more easier to say she was a shadow seeker."
This thought he just kept it in his heart, while he did so, Valencia looked at Azrail with shining eyes, her gaze traveling between Azrail and her mother, certain ideas starting to sprout in her mind, ones to make her mother whole, while even giving herself some advantages. Azrail, privy to all of Valencia's thoughts, could only look at Valencia with a hidden glint.
'Just what kind of mind is yours made of?'
Even though he wasn't too much interested in the ideas flowing through Valencia's mind, he didn't go out of his way to intercept it. Plus, her ideas will take a long time to implement, and perhaps by then, he might have changed his mind. For now, none of the thoughts running through Valencia's head are harmful to him, so he will let his little wife have her fun.
"Something like this exists?"
Yun suddenly spoke with an incredulous voice, making Azail look at his mother, a wry smile filling his face at his mother's accusing gaze, though it was still filled with her feelings of immense pride and happiness for him, especially at the fact that now there will be someone besides Azrail 24/7 to keep him safe.
"Raven, get back."
At the order of Azrail's, Raven quickly went back to his shadows, which she found to be the most happiest place in the cosmos. Seeing so, Azrail focused back on Raena as he spoke.
"This plan I have will also help screw over your husband Liam Ewald."
The latter half of Azrail's words brought the maximum of Raena's attention as this time her gentle face filled with a bloody smile, with her eyes lighting up with a crazed glint.
'What a beautiful madness and killing intent.'
As one that thrived in killing and madness in his first life, Azrail was able to easily like the pure madness in her, one in which he embraced and lived on. But Azrail quickly shook those thoughts off.
'Wow, maybe I am too not that normal.'
Laughing at himself, Azrail continued to speak.
"The reason why you all are here is because your husband Ew-"
"He is not my husband, he is nothing but trash in the ground for me."
Raena spoke, breaking Azrail's words, pure killing intent and disgust in her voice as she spoke. He could feel the extreme pain, distrust, and disgust within her as she spoke, to which Azrail paused for a moment as he spoke.
"Then the reason you are here is because of your Ex-husband not ready to take you into the family, right?"
To this, both Raena and Valencia nodded their heads. Liam had rushed back to the second heaven the moment he had established his position a bit and had gained himself the seat of the head of his family, a position he got after a lot of bloodshed and killing. But between that time to establish and get strength, he had taken in three wives from different organizations or families of the third heaven.
Women with agendas and desires, among that one of the women dearly loves him, while the other two just married him in allegiance, for power and prestige. Even all three of them believed that their children would be the ones to fight and inherit the greater power, since all of their kids came into being at the same time, making them all his first children.
Though that got screwed over the moment Valencia came into the picture, she was his first child, and the one with the greatest access to all his resources and love. To the two women among the three of Liam's, Valencia's and Raena's existence is a stain blocking their ultimate path.
Of course, Liam could still bring Raena and Valencia to his family, but the war had just ended, and he had just consolidated his power. Right now, bringing in the duo of Valencia and Raena would be very hard for him to deal with, since his three wives had already started to create their own factions in his family.
Liam could be forceful, but that would only make things worse in his family, so for now, he can only hide Valencia and Raena here. His wives know about them, but since he hid them, they can't do anything to Valencia and Raena, and the plan Azrail has will only bring danger to them. At least that's what Raena will see with her eyes.
"I have a plan that will keep my family safe while at the same time getting back at Liam."
Azrail spoke, his words filled with his cunning drive to get what he wanted done. Azrail knows better that if Raena or Valencia had a chance, then they would easily get rid of the whole of the Ewald family and start anew, but that can't be done due to the very fact that there is no better family for protection than Liam's family. This material is derived from n0v£lbin•
Raena is very powerful in this lower heaven, and her talent only reached a supreme level after she gave birth to Valencia. For even giving birth to prodigies makes the mothers stronger, and no one has to say anything more about Valencia, right? Right now, even Raena is a brimming vault of talent, and if they wanted, they could get into a powerful place in this third heaven.
But the question came, will the powers protect and safeguard Valencia and Raena like Liam will? With all the guilt eating him up, he will do everything in his power to keep the duo safe, and that's the main reason they stayed, and Valencia even went the extra mile to show all of her great talent to Liam.
Of course, she didn't show everything but just enough, hidden by Adria, to show Liam what kind of a divine gift Valencia is. This makes Valencia's presence on Liam much higher, even if it sounds cold-hearted, so they could go to any other powers, but perfect protection or care isn't a guarantee. There is no guarantee that people might not lust for Valencia's beauty.
'Though that would not be a problem if Valencia's 2nd master gets here.....'
Even Valencia's first master, Adria, is enough to make a powerful backing in the cosmos, but she can't come out due to the very fact that she is blacklisted in the cosmos. But the second master that takes Valencia in the future is someone with an extreme amount of connection in the cosmos and a very, very powerful figure that few dare to match.
With her, Valencia and Raena will be free from the clutches of the family they have joined themselves to. Strictly speaking, the current faction that Azrail has can match the Ewald family, but then again, bringing in the mad scientist Nayan into the show will only be asking for his new family to be now fully blacklisted from every power in the cosmos.
But that doesn't mean there isn't a workaround here. Azrail has the plan of making the best of everything while keeping his family safe, riding the waves, and making a profit.
Raena replied with narrowed eyes.
"Don't worry, I will show you all the pros of my confidence soon."
Azrail replied after which he focused fully on Raena.
"My plan isn't a simple one, it's a very complex one with lots of paths to it. I am not rushing into something like an idiot, and as I said, this plan will keep your ex-husband on his toes."
"Um.....fine tell me the plan fully."
These words made Azrail smile as he started to speak.
"The beginning would be with spreading the words of your majesty through the lower heaven, starting with this Empire. This presence of Valencia is an extremely dangerous factor for Liam's new wife, and it's to be taken for granted that they might still be searching everywhere for your presence, right?"
The words of Azrail led to both Valencia and Raena nodding their heads.
"Then all we have to do is to start spreading the true information about you through the lands, and the Empires here connected to the second heaven will contact the second heaven. And it won't be long for them to connect you to the missing powerhouse sect in the second haven that vanished at Liam's rage, would it?"
These following words started to get the minds of the three women to run, Yun, Raena, and Valencia slowly coming to understand the depths of the plan Azrail wants to put forward. Yun already has a very good understanding of the situation around Valencia and Raena from Raena's words. Meanwhile, Xuanyin, like always, just sat beside Azrail enjoying his warmth to the fullest.
"You plan to pull these so-called powers that are targeting Valencia and Raena towards here, the response of the wives of Liam will be more than enough proof to give us the backing that reaches towards even the third heavens, right?"
As Yun finished speaking her words to Azrail, her eyes started to sparkle, her mind already seeing the paths this could either be strengthened or made better. She even started to think of the ways to make the situation even better for her family and business too.
"You will automatically have an invisible level of protection at the level of a prince of the third heaven once everything is put to light, though in the end, you will be making an enemy of the factions within the Ewald family," Raena spoke. She seemingly came to accept the idea but even then lays several concepts behind the idea that must be met, or else Azrail would just end up dead with ambitions all around him and nothing more.
"You know there is a reason I didn't travel here directly," Azrail said. As he said this, the power of spatial shift flashed around everyone in the room. Soon, Azrail, along with Valencia, Raena, Xuanyin, and Yun ended up in the very room in the Realm Scrapper. The sudden movement was a surprise, but all of them quickly got over it, and the first to speak was Yun.
"I can't feel any sort of Qi here," she said with a frown. Even though she said this, her eyes kept scanning all around this highly beautiful yet sophisticated room that puts the majority of the third realm to shame. While Azrail's mother looked at all this, Raena and Valencia just kept looking around with frowns filling their faces. Before they could say anything, Azrail did.
"Welcome to Realm Scrapper, the home of the mad scientist." The original content can be pinpointed to n0v3lbin•
"What?!" is the scream that came out of Adria as she appeared in her ghost-like form outside. Her presence earned a wide eye from Yun, who looked at the floating ghost-like womanly figure with no face with a surprised look. Meanwhile, Xuanyin just stood beside Azrail like always, not giving much thought about anything besides Azrail. But then again, her blue eyes did keep looking around the whole place with some excitement dancing in her eyes.
"You are joking, right?" Adria asked with a hasty tone, even though she herself was strong enough to understand that Azrail wasn't bluffing at all. To answer this, the 2-meter tall body of Nayan in his human-controlled form walked into the room with his surgical doctor-like dress on. But one look from Azrail was enough for his body to fall to the ground, and within seconds the original body of Nayan appeared, giving a dramatic bow as he spoke.
"What do you need of me, master?" His sudden arrival brought some hiccups to all, especially Azrail's mother and sister who had never seen anything alien like Nayan. His very small presence and unique look are hard for them to easily digest.
"Master?" To this, Valencia called out in doubt. While she is very privy to many things, Adria hasn't spoken to her about the mad scientist at all. For the very fact that this most wanted scientist wasn't ever found by anyone, and this guy right now is above the pay grade that Valencia could ever deal with, Adria didn't reply to Valencia, she turned to Azrail as she asked.
Her mind swirled around to work around every amazing opportunity she could use, the thing that Azrail brought opened up to a whole new path for Valencia to use to make Azrail's dream of the most powerful family come to life. Azrail sitting beside Valencia could feel and read all the crazy plans rubbing through her.
'At least he knows not to jump in,' Azrail thought as he looked at Nayan standing at the edges of the room like a loyal servant, not even daring to butt in.
"This place contains people that can crush the empire with a thought, and before I get to everything this place has, I would like Adria to pass on the information about this place to you all along with some sturdy understanding of all the realms and powers and structure above," Azrail spoke. His eyes turned towards Adria who floated above Valencia. She is now 'looking' at him. Not being an idiot, she quickly understands the ploy that Azrail is putting forth.
"You baited me to come out, you wanted this," Adria spoke, her voice calm to which Azrail replied.
"I did, and before you ask what's in it for you, you know what I can give. Helping me only helps you." Adria didn't reject the words. After seeing everything in front of her, she is coming to understand perhaps her most efficient path might not have been Valencia but the boy in front of her. At the time of her death, Adria has used her most forbidden power over fate to awaken in the soul of one that can give her a chance of fulfilling her goal.
And after that, Adria ended up waking up in Valencia's soul. After seeing her talents, and the fate she is going through Adria understood that Valencia perhaps might be the one that shall bring the current ugly government of the Heavenly Rulers to the ground. But now other thoughts have begun to sprout in her mind.
'Perhaps fate might have been leading me to this boy,' An enigma even she with all her blessing and sight over fate can't see. She can't read his lines, she can't foresee his future. The talents and secrets around the boy only seem to grow higher and higher with the days she keeps seeing him.
A boy that looks to have only grown up in this backward starting realm. Yet his mind holds information and powers that will put the S+ realms to shame. Each day she would think the boy wouldn't be able to surprise her, yet he still found a way to blow her out of her mind. And now she is looking at an impossibility in front of her.
'Perhaps the last remaining Shadow Seeker and Truth Seeker are in front of me gathered together at the same place. Not to mention the All-Seer and Realm Scrapper,' Two treasures Gods would kill for, even primordial ones, especially for the All-Seer that sees through all secrets and truths. The funny thing here is that all of this now coming under a single boy, barely holding at the age of 11, something that will shock the whole cosmos.
'Looks like it's time I made my choice,' Adria thought as she looked at the calm face of Azrail, one who seemingly looked to have the entire situation in his hand.
The room fell into silence as Azrail and Adria looked at each other, a small invisible energy forming between the two of them. It was then that Adria spoke.
"Even if I want to, I will be risking instability to my current soul. I can directly supply information to Valencia because I am part of her soul. Going outside will only hasten my demise." The original content can be pinpointed to n0v3lbin•
Azrail nodded at Adria's words, a small smile filling his face. Adria's ability to provide information directly to others' minds without side effects is very useful. Some treasures and abilities can do the same, but they don't work as well as Adria's. Her ability to twist the lines of fate to implant and understand information is on another level.
For example, even if information is given to someone, it's up to the individual to awaken their understanding of the stuff and move to use that information. Adria could skip all that process and directly make the person understand the topic to its depth as if the person had lived their whole life in the third heaven when she finished her transfer.
This makes them more attuned to the information itself, not to mention how it can be used to transmit understanding of cultivation techniques, abilities, laws, and more. It is truly an OP ability in many ways, and Azrail plans to make use of that to its limits.
"Well, I can take care of that..."
Azrail muttered, looking at Adria. His hands swirled as departed souls appeared in his hand, many of them encompassing the souls he just killed, the majority being Yun family members. He didn't let their souls go, for even in death, they would be of use to Azrail, connecting to the swirling souls in his hand.
His control over the souls and his own talent of soul energy came into play as the souls themselves started to burst apart, their screams unheard as, within seconds, only energy remained standing within his hands, pure soul energy that might drive all soul cultivators crazy to get a taste.
The control of the soul that Azrail just showed would put even the deadliest Gods of death to shame. The whole path of soul cultivation is focused on oneself, using one's own soul and the soul's energy to grow. Soul cultivators can even affect others' souls with attacks and more, but controlling the soul as beautifully as Azrail did is impossible for them.
Soul cultivators, though, will be able to deal with soul energy around, one of the most desired energies in the world. Its application is never-ending. Anyhow, leaving those pieces of information, the main scene lands on Adria now floating above Valencia like a dead soul. She, for the first time in her life, is doubting everything around her.
'Huh?... Am I fully dead? Is the sun shining blue? Did my soul awaken in an alternate universe where my common sense is shit?'
Several such thoughts kept passing through her mind, and among all the things that Azrail had shown her, now this in front of her took the cake. Hell does it make sense for a boy of 11 to handle souls like toys?
The authority over souls and death is among the rarest and the most dangerous in the whole cosmic movement, and even Adria, with all her knowledge and life experience, hasn't seen any being wielded souls so easily as Azrail did. It's as if he is the embodiment of death itself. Even with all her mental might, it took a few moments for Adria to recover.
But then again, it showed towards what kind of humongous power is protecting the boy in front of her. Adria can understand that the boy has been chosen by a legacy, and as much as it hurts her ego, Adria is coming to understand that whatever legacy it is, its power and future of it are a hundred times better than hers.
"How long will they be like this?"
"Depends on their mental fortitude and their own comprehensive speed and such. But since I didn't give them any understanding of law and such, they will get out of their daze in an hour or so. Though that is for Raena, your mother and sister will take longer."
Azrail nodded his head at her words, he gazing at his family with a fond smile after which he leaned onto the chair, Valencia taking the silent moment to lean herself fully on Azrail as he asked.
"How's the collection going?"
"Just a day more for me to finish"
Valencia replied, making Azrail raise his eyebrow in question.
"I thought I gave you a week?"
"And I told you I would get it done early"
Valencia replied making Azrail smile a bit, he placed a kiss on her forehead as he turned towards Nayan who now stood in front of the three of them with a respectful look.
"How's the other settling in?"
Azrail asked to which Nayan replied.
"They are all sitting in well, some of the more keeners once with better backgrounds are making some noises"
Nayan's reply earned a questioning look to which the man forwarded the information compromised of everything as an orb to Azrail who quickly crushed it which easily uploaded all the information directly to Azrail's mind and reading through the information a twitch came to Azrail's lips.
"You are one crazy bastard"
To his words, Nayan just shrugged his shoulder, and seeing so Azrail went on to display the information of the more useful members with a better background and the experiences of Valenci and Raena using a tab.
"Holy shit....."
These are the words that came from Adria.
"Yup, holy shit it is..."
Azrail muttered alongside Adria while Valencia looked at the list with a frowning face.
"This complicates some things."
She muttered, to which Azrail asked.
"How the hell did some of them get here?"
To this question, Nayan just shrugged his shoulder as he spoke.
"As you know, in the dark, I have dealings with several powerful factions, realms, and pantheons. When they find something they can't understand, they send it to me. And above that, when they have powerful losers they have to suffer upon, they send that to me too."
"And the powerful losers that you get are of powerful lineage or power, thus it gives you the chance to understand the body of others, while the ones that give you the bodies get to know that their enemies are going through things worse than death, a win-win situation."
Valencia spoke, finishing Nayan's words, the acceptance in them making Nayan nod his head as he spoke, all those eyes of his blinking.
"I have a lot of powerful bodies piled up, and the ones that I have are all completely secured here. Moreover, within this place, no power can track their so-called prodigies or members, it's foolproof."
"That also means that you keep receiving the betrayed members for you to hold, ones that go missing by the competitive brothers or members of the same family, making you an effective place to dispose of people without causing many issues to others."
Adria spoke at the time, her voice much more powerful than before, to which Nayan looked at her with focused eyes. The original content can be pinpointed to n0v3lbin•
"Never thought I would see the great Adria Decebel so weakened."
To his words, the room got icy as Adria spoke.
"We've met before?"
To her questions, Nayan spoke.
"You are asking our thoughts?"
Adria asked back with doubt, to which Azrail shrugged his shoulder as he replied.
"I am not dumb enough to simply rack my brain for a solution when ones much more qualified than me sit around me."
The acknowledgment of Azrail's words brought a certain glow to Adria's eyes, while Nayan himself started to rotate that small brain of his with a mental capacity better than most in the cosmos. He took this as the time to find a perfect situation to get into the better side of Azrail. However, in the end, Nayan himself is more focused on the innovative crazy side of things.
And this is where Adria starts to think, seemingly piecing together several pieces of knowledge she has along with the knowledge that Azrail gave her about the current situation in the Realm Scrapper. The solutions themselves should come to help the new faction or family that Azrail is building to bring into the cosmos.
Adria's eyes narrowed in thoughtful consideration, her centuries-old mind delving into the intricate web of power dynamics within the cosmos. Nayan, on the other hand, tapped into his vast scientific knowledge, analyzing the situation from a pragmatic standpoint. Azrail watched both of them, keenly awaiting their insights.
"Well, Azrail," Adria began, her voice carrying wisdom earned through lifetimes of experience, "the key here is diversion and misdirection. We need to create a smokescreen that conceals the true nature of your new faction's members, allowing them to move freely outside the Realm Scrapper without attracting unwanted attention."
Azrail nodded, absorbing her words. "Go on, Adria."
"We'll initiate a series of carefully orchestrated events within the cosmos, designed to divert attention from the new faction. We can simulate conflicts, disturbances, and anomalies, all carefully timed to coincide with the emergence of your faction members. This will force other powers to focus on these fabricated crises rather than scrutinizing the individuals you've brought into your fold."
Azrail's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Clever. It's a delicate dance, but if done right, it could buy us the time we need."
Adria continued, "Simultaneously, we need to employ a veil of magical concealment. Create an illusion around each faction member, obscuring their true identity and affiliations. It won't be an easy task, but with the combined?prowess of our resources, we can achieve a level of masking that will confound even the most skilled detectors."
Azrail nodded appreciatively. "Mask their identities. Keep them hidden in plain sight. I like that."
Adria's gaze shifted to Nayan, who had been silently observing. "And you, Nayan, can use your scientific expertise to develop technological countermeasures. Devices that disrupt any attempts at tracking or probing the individuals under the veil. A sort of anti-surveillance system tailored to their specific signatures."
Nayan's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "I can develop algorithms that continuously alter their energy signatures, making it virtually impossible for any monitoring systems to lock onto them. It will be like chasing shadows."
Azrail grinned, impressed by the synergy of their ideas. "So, we create diversions, mask their identities with powerful illusions, and implement cutting-edge technology to disrupt any attempts at tracking. That's not a bad strategy but it will take a lot to implement."
Adria nodded, a hint of a wry smile on her lips. "And remember, Azrail, the key is not just in the execution but in the unpredictability. Keep the cosmos guessing. Let them think they're in control while you pull the strings from the shadows."
"But we need a powerful incentive to keep those other members in line, for all of us knows that, these guys with such backgrounds will start to bark towards their powers once they are out of here."
Azrail said with narrowed eyes, the rest turning a bit silent at his words.
Valencia, who had been silently observing, interjected with a thoughtful expression. "Darling has a valid point. We need more than just veils and diversions. These powerful individuals come from diverse backgrounds and affiliations. Their loyalties will be to their original powers, and we can't afford any internal conflicts within our faction."
Adria nodded in agreement. "She's right, Azrail. We need a binding force, something that ensures their loyalty and compliance. Fear alone might work initially, but we'll need a more sustainable solution."
Azrail leaned back, his mind working through the intricacies of the challenge. "We can use their individual desires against them. Offer each member something they desire greatly, whether it be knowledge, power, or even personal vendettas settled. Make them see that allegiance to our cause aligns with their deepest aspirations."
Valencia chimed in, "Create a pact, a magical contract that binds them willingly to your cause. Craft it in a way that breaking the pact not only results in severe consequences but also leads to the loss of the very thing they desire. It's a delicate balance, but with skilled contractor, we can weave a bond stronger than any chain."
Adria added, "The pact should be individualized, tailored to each member's motivations. A personalized incentive that ensures their loyalty to our cause while keeping them unaware of the other's motivations. This way, they won't perceive each other as threats, eliminating potential internal conflicts."
Azrail nodded in approval. "Excellent. We turn their desires into shackles, and the only key to those shackles is their unwavering commitment to our cause. This pact should not only secure their allegiance but also serve as a failsafe against betrayal."
Valencia, with a sly smile, spoke, "And we can intertwine the pact with the veils and illusions. Make them believe that their desires are intricately connected to our cause so that even the thought of betrayal becomes inconceivable. It's psychological manipulation at its finest."
Adria concluded, "A combination of death contracts, individualized incentives, and the illusion of shared destinies. It's not just about controlling their actions but shaping their beliefs. We don't just want servants; we want devoted disciples who willingly contribute to the rise of our faction."
"Or you guys can break the mind of these members, make them fully committed to you, release them back into their own factions. Some of these people here have great power in those backgrounds, and with these ones in your control, you can perhaps start attacking these organizations from the inside."
Nayan spoke, his words bringing in silence, but it was quickly broken off by Adria.
"That all sounds good, but the problem would lay with the others that sent these losers to you. If all of them suddenly returned, the ones that sent them here will call foul play. It will instantly take out all the connections you built, plus not to mention the risks of being found out and more." The original content can be pinpointed to n0v3lbin•
Adira added, her sound words making all of Nayan's eyes narrow, the room settling into a specific tempo, all in the room starting to shine with their eyes. Within this, a flash of light passed through Azrail's eyes, a sly smile coming over his face as he spoke.
Adria nodded her veiled face at those words as she spoke.
"He's right, we need more information and a lot of planning to get this right. But once we do and the seeds have already ripened, we will be able to give a big hit to several powers in the cosmos at the same time."
At the mention of these words, a light of fury passed through both Adira's and Nayan's eyes, while Azrail and Valencia looked at each other with a smile, their interconnected mind easily playing with each other several ideas that could be taken to improve upon everything that is present.
"Looks like we have a lot of planning ahead of us."
Azrail spoke with a smile, to which Adria replied.
"Never thought that I would have to do more work when I am dead than when I was alive."
The words of Adria now came together with a touch of playfulness, one side that Valencia had never seen from her master at all, and for this, her eyes turned a bit misty as she spoke secretly to Azrail.
'Thank you for this.'
'There is no need for that between the two of us, we are family.'
These words only brought a bright smile to Valencia hidden behind her veil, but even then, her charm surrounding her already seemed to embrace the change and made a small step forward.
"We need to first restructure the entire power leveling here, create a perfect structure for the faction you are planning on creating, and at the same time take in more spies for us."
As Adria said this, her eyes turned towards Nayan, and he didn't need her to spell anything out for him to already understand what she wanted.
"Don't worry, I already have a list of many wishing to send me their spoils of war. I will make sure to take them all in."
At the end of his words, a very creepy smile came to Nayan's already creepy face.
"First, we need to get a list of the most dangerous yet important ones in here."
Azrail said, and Nayan nodded his head at it, he being more than capable of it as Adria intervened.
"We also need the detailed collection of the slaves you have made. After all, I am guessing that the majority of the powerful slaves you are controlling are ones with great talent and knowledge sent to you as waste and losers from others, right?" This material is derived from n0v£lbin•
At the accusing voice of Adria, the man just turned his head to the side as he whistled lightly, an action that brought a smile to Azrail as he spoke.
"I guess that's where the more dangerous ones lay... huh."
Nayan could only once again nod his head at those words, and Azrail knew asking about this would only be useless as Nayan himself wouldn't give a shit about the other slaves under him. They might have been ones with fascinating experiences that might have being experimented on, and once the data was in his hand along with the useful project, he would just delete them from his mind and just focus on the next issue or experiment at hand.
"Looks like we have a lot to do."
Valencia spoke, her accusing gaze focusing on Nayan, who just gave a wry smile, one that didn't look all that good with those eyes and that small mouth filled with sharp teeth.
"The situation is indeed worse, but we need fully loyal members that will do this grunt work, and right now we don't have much like that."
Valencia added to which Azrail started to think. The 1700 will do any work that he commands them due to the very fact that their life and death are in his hands. But that doesn't mean they won't try to do some harmful shit along the way, especially if they are asked to handle a lot of load at the same time.
After all, the new undead is filled with death Qi, and it certainly isn't the same connection anymore. Even if using the death Qi the connection is established, they would have to all start from scratch because the connection was once broken. Not to mention that the World Spirit energy itself will fight against you back, the disgust for even joining with the death Qi of an undead.
Only the highest levels of ones deep into the power and realms of death will be able to even give a chance to the undead to connect back to the World Spirit Realm, and that's the level of the highest Death Gods or the great rulers deep into the control of hell and death realms.
The words of Adria made Azrail thoughtful, his eyes looking at Adria with shining eyes, the new plan on him starting to get better and better, an idea he thought wasn't feasible at first now getting more and more feasible as his eyes started to travel between Adria and Nayan.
'It might be a laughable plan at first, but if I use them right, then it might perhaps work.'
After this thought entered him, his eyes moved towards Valencia.
'And she was easily able to achieve all those at her peak.'
A wry smile came to Azrail's face at that thought, while Valencia just tilted her head at Azrail's look. Meanwhile, Azrail spoke out.
"How about we permanently get their minds and loyalty fully fixed on us?"
He asked his question, earning questioning looks from all around, to which with another wry smile, Azrail waved his hand around, which formed a small fist, but the most extreme part being that mental energy being used to form the thing at hand. The moment the rest felt it, Azrail chuckled a bit as he looked at all of them.
Adira floated a bit away from Valencia like a dead soul, seemingly having lost the luster in her eyes, Nayan the ever evil having all his eyes fully open, his mouth opened as big as it could get, while even Valencia was now looking at Azrail as if a monster had just arrived in front of her.
"I pity your enemies..."
Adira lightly whispered floating around.
The stunning silence in the room kept its head above high as all three of them took some time for their heads to get at the fact that Azrail could walk the path of a death cultivator, soul cultivator, and now even the path of a mental cultivator. Not to mention his use of cultivating Qi and getting stronger. Now the only thing left for Azrail is to walk the path of a World Spirit master, and as those thoughts came to their minds, all three of them focused on Azrail at the same time.
Seeing this, he chuckled a bit, not hiding his feelings from Valencia, who quickly connected the dots. Her eyes lit up in wonder while Azrail just waved his hand, and world spirit energy started to swirl around his hand, thus the silence that was getting back on track just went into a deeper stunning silence.
Adria now seemingly getting more transparent, a situation of her soul being called up to heaven, while Nayan's eyes started to flutter with a lot of unconcealed greed, desire, and knowledge. He looked Azrail up and down so much that an unbiased spectator might have mistaken the desire brewing in Nayan. This content originates from n0v3lbin•
"Um, master, please, just please, can I dissect you a bit and see what makes you tick?"
The answer to the question came in the format of extreme pain of the soul hitting Nayan all together at once.
"Arghh!"
He cried out as he buckled himself to the floor, while Azrail looked at him with calm eyes as he spoke.
"Don't go overboard with your authority."
While he looked calm, the words that flew from Azrail's mouth were cold. However, he quickly shook it off as he looked at Adria, looking at Azrail with a focused gaze as she asked.
"Just how did the cosmos, nay the heavens, allow for you to even exist?"
Her question had veiled intentions to it, and Azrail smiled at it, understanding the inner workings of her question. As one that had reached part of the peak and peeked at the summit, Adria should have a deeper understanding of the workings of the cosmos and the heavenly Law ruling around that keeps the order and chaos.
To this, Azrail took a deep breath, the plan in his mind washing through his mind as he spoke.
"We will do it with a mix of my control over soul and mind, along with Adria's control over the fate lines and Nayan's specialization of tech."
"Then what about me?"
Valencia asked seemingly in a pouting tone, to which Azrail replied with a smile.
"The funny thing is, the thing we will be doing with a lot of work shall be achievable by you in a thought once you reach the peak of your powers. After all, there is no one more charming than my wife~"
The last of Azrail's words was charming, making Valencia chuckle a bit as she lightly hit Azrail's shoulder while saying.
"Darling~"
The romantic mood blossomed between the two of them as the other centuries-old adults looked at this scene with dead eyes, the two of Nayan's and Adria's heads meeting, and for once those two seemed to be on the same thought line, and seeing the flirting increasing, Adria, the one not eternally a slave to Azrail, interrupted the scene as she asked.
"So you were saying?"
Seeing this, Azrail chuckled as he started to detail his plan.
"All of you must know the danger of a mental master, right?"
This sudden question by Azrail brought a somber atmosphere to the room, the path of a mental master being one of the most heinous yet dangerous paths to walk or come across. The ability to manipulate memories, control your mind, and make you do things without you even knowing that you are being controlled isn't a power that everyone appreciates.
In fact, there are few, very very few mental masters in the world, they have formed their own little group and are very hidden from the world. No one can access them, and only the mental masters themselves can get to the cause. The moment you have power over the mind, then that moment the powers of the world either sniff you out or make you a slave for themselves, another risky path to take.
That's why even in other factions, the path of mental control, even in the oldest and most powerful ones, is rare, and above that, the faction or group of the mental realm masters is extremely feared across the whole cosmos, the same level as the soul ones, yet even higher.
"Even if we know the danger, are you moving towards the fact of mind control and memory manipulation?"
Adria asked, her voice turning somber at the question, and Azrail didn't fall back at her accusation as he spoke.
"That's exactly what I am asking for. I have the techniques for it, powerful ones you won't be able to believe, but I don't have the perfect strength or mental power to accomplish it for now, and what I want, I can't do it alone." This material is derived from n0v£lbin•
The words of Azrail were not very accepting to Adria, but she isn't a little girl to just jump and say no because she can't see the bigger picture, the prospect that Azrail is putting forth, if done well, will only serve to help them in the long term. One can say it's a bad deal to get something good done, though, in this criteria, it's good for the faction that Azrail is planning.
"And how are you sure that this won't be found out? You do know there are things out there to find out if memories or minds are being manipulated, and then there is another bigger problem to it."
And before Adria could continue her words, Nayan continued for her.
"The problem of self-realization. Even if we make them fully mind-controlled and memory-manipulated, there is still the bigger problem of the mind itself breaking out from control when the cultivation increases and reaches a level of self-realization."
The words of Nayan were the truth. Mind and memory manipulation is good and all, but it's still not foolproof. The path of cultivation or the growth in any other endeavor is by the use of getting oneself better, to increasing one's strength. Not to mention, to get stronger, one has to be of free mind. Without actually understanding oneself, there is no truth in power.
If one's is mind-manipulated when in lower power, once they keep growing stronger and get better than the one who placed the control, the control will automatically be either canceled, or the person itself will gain a self-discovery when moving through the paths of cultivation. Mind manipulation and all look great on paper, but it has its own heavy disadvantages.
But even with all that, the power itself is very dangerous, and it can be used in lots of situations, especially for slaves who have no future or are at the end of their path. There, is even the perfect way of using a person to get something done with mind control.
Azrail's gaze shifted between Adria and Nayan, a spark of determination in his eyes. "Lastly, technology will serve as the binding force. We'll deploy a network of cosmic disruptors, advanced devices that will shield their manipulated existence from external detection. Outside the Realm Scrapper, they'll be indistinguishable from any other cosmic entity. The disruptors will create a veil, concealing our influence from prying eyes."
Adria, impressed by the comprehensive plan laid out before her, nodded slowly. "It's audacious, Azrail. But audacity might be what we need in this cosmic chess game but the pressure of maintaining this won't be easy, not to mention you don't have the 100% promise of not being found out."
Nayan, despite his initial reservations, found himself drawn to the complexity of the plan. "I can enhance the disruptors, make them seamless in their operation. It's a challenging task, but challenges are what I thrive on but it will take time, I can't just create things without a base."
Azrail's grin widened, he, unfazed by the skepticism in their eyes, continued, "I know the locations of some special treasures that can help us, some of which are imbued with unique properties capable of shaping minds, intertwining destinies, and enhancing one's essence. These treasures are scattered across the cosmos, waiting to be harnessed."
Adria's expression shifted from skepticism to curiosity, and she probed further, "How can these treasures aid us in mind manipulation and control?"
Azrail elaborated, "Take, for example, the 'Eclipsed Enigma.' It's a celestial artifact hidden in the heart of a distant galaxy. When wielded with precise techniques, it can create a harmonious link between the user's soul and the target's mind. The synergy of such artifacts with my existing techniques will create a mind control that transcends conventional understanding."
Nayan, the mad scientist, his eyes gleaming with a hint of madness, interjected, "And with the infusion of cosmic essence, these artifacts will act as conduits for a unique form of mind manipulation. The very fabric of their thoughts will dance to the tune we compose."
Adria, now beginning to see the intricacies of Azrail's plan, nodded slowly. "So, the treasures act as enhancers and conduits, shaping the mind, soul, and fate of our subjects. But what about the self-realization issue Nayan pointed out?"
Azrail, acknowledging the challenge, responded, "The 'Veil of Nebula' is another treasure, hidden in the cosmic mist. It has the power to veil self-realization temporarily. Once our subjects reach a critical point in their cultivation, this veil will descend, preserving their loyalty without hindering their growth."
Nayan, impressed by Azrail's incorporation of cosmic treasures, couldn't contain his excitement. "These treasures, when synchronized with my essence encryption, will create an impenetrable fortress of control. The cosmos itself will be blind to our manipulations."
Azrail, with a confident smile, concluded, "Our symphony will be composed of treasures as instruments, each playing a crucial role. The mind, soul, fate, and technology will harmonize, concealing our machinations within the cosmic orchestra. With this, we shall forge the supreme family of power, hidden in plain sight."
As the trio delved deeper into the intricate details of their plan, the Heavenly Opposers became their guide, leading them to the treasures that would shape destiny. The stage was set for a cosmic masterpiece, where manipulation and destiny danced hand in hand.
The talk between the members of Azrail, Valencia, Adria, and Nayan kept going on, with four different smart minds coming together. Several fresh, dangerous yet, at the same time, rewarding ideas were all being created as the discussion kept going on. Thus, hours started to pass by, and the members under teaching also started to awaken.
The first one to wake up from her teaching was Raena, the moment she opened her eyes, the craziness in her shut-eyes being taken in, a new light flashing within her eyes as her disguise as always melted away. The sexy, charming milf beauty with pink hair and burning red eyes came into view and a new sense of wisdom and understanding wriggled in those dangerous blood-filled eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, she was met with a heavy discussion being taken place all around. The new knowledge and understanding in her made her fully grasp the topic at hand being taken away, and the more she understood, the more shocked her expression kept turning out to be.
For Azrail didn't just ask for Adria to give the information due to her own special ability but also due to the very fact that Adria is one of the most knowledgeable people in the cosmos. Her understanding of the cosmos, the secrets of the other factions, and the little sectors, knowledge all being among the top.
She knows a lot in a clear and detailed manner, several pieces of information and understanding that certain factions keep as their highest knowledge vault. They might all be 'general' knowledge, but that itself will be power, and those are all not easy to access. But Adira presented all the information directly into an understanding to Raena, Yun, and Xuanyin.
This makes them very knowledgeable within the cosmic level, with a powerful understanding that can take several people aback, with one single move, Azrail took away the biggest disadvantages his family had, making them into one of their strengths.
Hence when Raena kept listening to the conversation, her surprise only grew and grew, and it turned to being numb. But that doesn't mean her heart didn't shudder at the ideas being passed around, the planning of mind manipulation and more being areas of pure chaos and disgust yet right now their thought only brought a shudder to Raena.
She understood that she herself couldn't put any information to this, turning quiet and just watching, though within that time her crazed mind seemingly returned as she took out a bottle of alcohol and started to drink it, her expression turning relaxed as she watched the situation in front of her.
Though within that, her eyes kept passing with a humongous amount of pride as she looked at Valencia, her eyes being gentle yet prideful as she looked at her little girl talking between the giants, a thought sending destructive chills down Raena's back, the crazed eyes desiring death and love at the same time filling a sense of tingle all over her.
The moment Raena woke up, the rest of the three felt it, but they still focused on the discussion at hand, only Valencia breaking focus for a moment to have her eyes meet her mother's, just that being more than any millions of words that could be exchanged between the two of them. Thus the discussion continued with one crazy woman drinking alcohol and feeling her mind, body, and soul tremble at the future that awaited her.
She herself revalues Azrail, who seems to be in the middle of the discussion and perhaps the middle of the change that the cosmos might undertake. Thus the hours went by, the plans and ideas getting more and more concrete with time, and at the 15th-hour mark, a change in shifty took place as both Yun and Xuanyin woke up from their enlightenment, and at this, Azrail fully stopped the talk.
Azrail spoke, feeling and understanding all the words his sister wanted to speak, and she herself stayed in that position of hug, enjoying his warmth for a minute till she later broke the hug. With a shy feeling, she went forth to place a kiss on Azrail's cheeks which he accepted with a laugh, and after this, Yun seemingly reading the atmosphere in the room asked.
"So what's happening here?"
To this, Azrail started to fill in the details of the discussion that kept happening, each word he spoke surprised the shit out of both Yun and Xuanyin, and by the end of Azrail's words, a very serious expression took Yun's face as she spoke.
"If you want to do this, you must be very careful, a little slip, and everything falls down."
"I know, Mother, we will all deal with it as it comes."
Azrail replied, to which Yun nodded her head, her eyes traveling through the room as she added.
"Then just send me back to the mansion for now, while I would love to travel around this place and see everything, there are still some things that I have to deal with."
To her words, Azrail nodded his head, and before he could say anything, Raena spoke.
"Send me back too, I can help my sister, and I also want to clear my head."
"Sure."
Not too surprised, Azrail replied, and with that, the two women were whisked away, leaving Xuanyin attached to Azrail's hand, more than happy to just spend her time hanging around Azrail's body.
"Guess that's that, why don't we get back to it?"
He spoke, his eyes traveling around the room to meet the founding members of the faction that would go to play with the whole of the cosmos.
The discussion among the group continued for a few hours until a more bounded decision was reached. Azrail, sitting in the middle of the discussion, spoke.
"Then it's decided, we will put the plan like this for now, but after we get more information, we will change it to something more."
The words of Azrail received the approval of the three. It's been 4 hours since their discussion, and after throwing in several ideas and plans, they now have a sense of where to take things from here. Especially with all the power in Azrail's hands right now. It was then that a cold burst of chill spread out from within Xuanyin, as always.
But, different from how things were in the beginning, Azrail absorbed all the pain. Using the connection between the two of them, he took all the negative aspects of the cold to himself while providing the positive ones to Xuanyin. This is something he is now capable of doing with his increased strength and control. This material is derived from n0v£lbin•
With the growth of his cultivation, his skills grows. Not to mention the new control he has over souls and more. Thanks to All-Seer, Azrail has come to understand that these cold bursts aren't entirely negative for Xuanyin. Yes, it hurts, but it also has the positive side of improving Xuanyin's body to the cold and increasing her affinity to ice.
From what All-Seer has shown him, these bursts of Supreme Yin Ice break into particles and drill deep into Xuanyin's core, slowly starting to affect her body. Even at absolute zero temperature, Xuanyin's body will be fine. Like all legacies, the pain and suffering she is going through are things that Xuanyin has to learn to take.
'But I think she has had enough of this,' Azrail thought, seeing his little sister clutch onto him. While she looked at him with an annoyed gaze at the fact that he was taking away all her pain and filling his body with it. He can see that she doesn't accept him feeling pain for her, and the two of them have already gone through a lot of talks about it, with Xuanyin being unsuccessful in changing Azrail's mind.
'But it's time to end this,' thinking so, Azrail turned to look at Nayan, whose fully focusing his eyes on Xuanyin during her outburst. All his eyes taking in the scene in great detail, till it ended, and thus Azrail asked.
"So?"
"While the situation itself is fascinating, I think it's a very easy situation to solve," Nayan replied to which Azrail asked.
"So how long to get it done?"
To this, Nayan replied with a smile.
"Just a few minutes."
With that it Nayan began to use his race's special abilities. Nayan, the lone Truth Seeker, initiated the process. The cosmic energies responded to his innate brilliance, swirling around him like a symphony eager to perform. Azrail, Xuanyin, and the others observed with curiosity.
Description: The Harmony Matrix is embedded with an Ancestral Attunement Array, establishing a direct link to the user's Divine Soul. This connection enhances the user's innate abilities and facilitates communion with the ancestral wisdom of the Truth Seekers.
-->Cosmic Harmonization Projection:
Description: This ability enables the user to project the harmonizing energies of the matrix into the surrounding environment. It creates a field of cosmic harmonization, influencing the energies of space and promoting balance on a cosmic scale.
-->Truth-Seeking Insight Lens:
Description: The matrix acts as a lens through which the user gains Truth-Seeking Insight. It enhances the user's perception, allowing them to discern hidden truths, patterns, and cosmic phenomena that are imperceptible to ordinary senses.
-->Psionic Resilience Amplification:
Description: The Harmony Matrix reinforces the user's psionic resilience, acting as a shield against external mental intrusions and cosmic disturbances. It enhances mental fortitude and safeguards the user's consciousness from psychic disruptions.
-->Quantum Essence Manipulation Conduit:
Description: The matrix serves as a conduit for manipulating quantum essences. It allows the user to harness and direct fundamental cosmic particles, providing a versatile means of interacting with the underlying fabric of reality.
-->Cosmic Legacy Manifestation:
Description: Through the Harmony Matrix, the user can manifest the cosmic legacy of the Truth Seekers. This manifestation can take various forms, ranging from ethereal constructs to visual representations of the Truth Seekers' ancestral knowledge.
-->Cosmic Cadence Synchronization:
Description: The matrix establishes a Cosmic Cadence, synchronizing with the universal rhythms. This synchronization enables the user to harmonize their actions with the cosmic flow, enhancing their abilities and facilitating a deeper connection to the cosmic forces.
===================
Nayan's fingers danced in the cosmic currents, weaving a tapestry of energies that transcended the ordinary, as he moved each of the materials kept disappearing into the Harmony Matrix, the materials being used for production. The Harmony Matrix, now aglow with a serene radiance, pulsed in sync with the cosmic rhythm. It was a manifestation of Truth Seeker's ingenuity, a device that turned adversity into a source of strength.
As Nayan completed the intricate process, he stepped back, the cosmic energy around him settling into a tranquil equilibrium. The Harmony Matrix, now a beacon of cosmic balance, emitted a gentle glow.
The glow soon calmed down as a shining bracelet appeared in the air, it shining beautifully.
The bracelet now finished shined with a beautiful blue light, its design being sleek with a metal-colored reflection over it. In the center, a beautiful blue core seemingly shines with blue light. Overall, the bracelet looked minimalistic yet beautiful, and it soon floated down to land on Azrail's hands as he looked at it with narrowed eyes. He then asked.
"Will this work?"
"It will work, alright," Nayan replied, the Harmony Matrix disappearing as it came. All eyes were focused on it, with Adria speaking.
"The Harmony Matrix, I had heard about it before, but it's more mind-blowing than I had imagined."
Her reply brought a proud smile to Nayan's face as he spoke.
"Of course, it is the final embers of my species left, one for which many of my kind were killed and tortured."
As he said this, his voice kept calm, but the raw anger burning in all his eyes wasn't easy to block at all, and no one went forth to speak anything about this. Even Xuanyin, now having more idea about Nayan, stayed quiet as she just kept blinking her eyes at the bracelet in Azrail's hands, no doubt feeling some sort of attraction towards it.
Thus, it didn't take long for Azrail to pick up Xuanyin's hands and solemnly place the bracelet onto her hands. The bracelet itself fits perfectly onto Xuanyin's hands, shining beautifully on her pale white hands. Seeing the bracelet star-like symbols started to shine within Xuanyin's eyes. For a moment, a light blue light shined from the bracelet, causing Xuanyin to widen her eyes. All her feelings were being marched towards Azrail as he spoke.
"Now you will never suffer again, even if I am not together with you."
This answer of Azrail's made Xuanyin's eyes shake. The coldness that always played within her body, the brittle feeling in her bones, the coldness that always kept her cold, all fading away to give her body a sense of warmth. A warmth that she always only feels when Azrail is beside her. Thus her eyes turned to meet Azrail's, her mouth seemingly opening and closing till she just jumped into his embrace and hugged him tight.
'Never thought that I would feel so good for a future.'
Valencia chuckled. She hasn't fully understood everything. As she thought this, her eyes turned towards Azrail, her heart beating like drums again. She surely hasn't understood everything, but her deepest soul, her deepest core, is telling her that as long as Azrail is with her, no matter what comes may, she will be fine and happy.
Meanwhile, while Valencia filled herself with her dreams, Adria looked at herself with a wry smile that no one could see. Her eyes flow between her disciple Valencia to Azrail, she too feels all the changes in Valencia, and all she can say is that it's good for her disciple. This would only make her grow stronger, and with such a man, she might never have to fear anything that may come.
Slowly Adria's eyes started to change a bit. She could still remember the day when she awakened alongside Valencia's soul, to the days before which the small family met Azrail. Somehow the depths between them being the difference between heaven and earth, the before times being a time of stillness, while these times feel like...
'Family.'
Adria never thought there would come a day when she could let out a genuine chuckle, not one controlled, not one to hide her feelings, not one to fool her allies and enemies but a pure one. A pure chuckle she hadn't left out of her lips since that fateful day she lost everything, the very fateful day she began her journey to get her revenge against the Heavenly Rulers.
A journey that only brought pain and happiness, when in the final all she gained was loss. She got betrayed, and all that she built turned to flames and burst away. The moment she awakened in Valencia after giving up something precious to a soul, she never thought she could ever laugh again. And she never thought she would feel anything other than a stillness grey and a sense of hopelessness in her.
With Valencia's talent, revenge might be possible, but it's a big road ahead, and nothing is fixed. Living in the soul of a tormented girl that is filled with hatred towards the world and a woman living with hate and love bipolar life, barely did anything to improve upon the hopeless feeling situation of Adria. But that all changed with Azrail.
The boy who kept shocking her from her core to her core again and again causing her to have no way of hiding feelings. No, it's such that the shocks that kept appearing had brought her feelings that have nulled out. For the shocks she kept getting kept deeply affecting her soul, such that the feelings that burned off started to come back.
And with a little touch to that, Adria finally got a spark of true feelings in her, the prospects of a surely possible future, a path of revenge, the intrigue of Azrail, his mystery, his actions, and talents that kept shocking her, while his whole existence being an enigma.
While finally at the last moment, the little drama gets a good true chuckle out of her, out of her soul that she thought had lost all feelings.
But even above all that, there lay something in Azrail's eyes that had fascinated Adria long before he showed her his talents.
Azrail's eyes were similar to hers.
Adria has lived for thousands of years, her age is something she stopped counting a long time ago. Her wisdom and understanding of the cosmos are better than most. While she almost brought the whole ruling system of the cosmos to its knees, in her long life, she has seen a lot of people come and go from her life.
She has experienced a lot more tragedies, dalliances, winning, happiness, and more. She has met lots of people from all sorts of life, and among them, Adria feels as if the eyes of Azrail meets and understands her eyes the most. She felt it the first time she saw him, and she still feels it now—the eyes of someone who had everything taken from them yet found it easy to destroy the shackles of hate around them to grow.
When faced with disaster upon disaster, either someone will break, or they will become better from it. But among those two cases, there is an even more rare case—cases of people that actually break yet, after being broken, living with hate in their hearts. There are some, a very rare few, that manage to break from their own hate.
Ones that overcome the evil within their hearts to grow, the only difference being the new person that comes out won't be the same person that had died at heart. The one that now emerges from its depressing cocoon will be a monster at heart, someone's heart that can never be bent and a soul that can now never be broken again.
The new ones that emerge will be ruthless, and extremely calculative. They will try to accept things, but their hearts will be heavy, even above that, their emotions will be very null. Adria is the same, she was broken and she lived the life of a broken idiot for a long time until she managed to pick up her pieces and place them back together again.
But the Adria that had been reborn wasn't the one that had died at heart. The newer one felt the soul of her emotions being highly restrictive than she could manage. Her emotions were there, her desire for revenge and everything stayed, with her desire to get her revenge burning the brightest. Yet the rest of them somehow felt dull and aching. This material is derived from n0v£lbin•
Adria lived her life like that, due to which she never formed a genuine bond to look back on. All for her was getting her revenge, and when she turned to look back to see what she had to hold after her revenge, she found nothing.
Adria was alone.
And she was fine with it. But now, with her emotions coming into play again, certain things that she herself had not paid attention to in the past are now coming to light. The steps that she took, the people that she ignored, the connections that were fully real and loyal to her that she didn't get her chance to cherish—all of them now being more and more clear to her. And for all that, she had a single boy to thank for.
Thinking till here, her eyes that no one can see narrowed, looking at Azrail with a thoughtful look till something of sn idea dawned in her soul.
"Wow."
And Azrail meant it as he started to get the full picture of Adria's face in front of her.
Adria's soul form, bathed in ethereal blue and purple hues, seemed to dance in the winds as her presence resonated with an otherworldly elegance. Azrail found himself captivated by the spectacle before him. Her blue hair, a mesmerizing blend with streaks of purple, flowed like an otherworldly river, shimmering with an innate radiance.
Her eyes, the windows to a soul that had seen eons, held an otherworldly beauty. A background of deep blue was adorned with a single, radiant purple star in each eye, surrounded by several smaller stars that blinked like distant galaxies. Azrail felt a profound connection with fate encapsulated in those eyes.
As Adria's soul drifted closer, the details of her visage became clearer to Azrail. He marveled at the subtle elegance of her features, a beauty that surpassed mortal comprehension. Her cheekbones were sculpted like the finest art, and her lips held a celestial allure, evoking a sense of both wisdom and temptation.
Her soul form seemed to possess an ageless maturity, an essence that transcended time. Adria had lived through epochs, witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, and danced with the cosmic forces that shaped existence. Her beauty, while ethereal, carried the weight of countless experiences, giving her an allure that even the most enchanting goddesses would envy.
The curves of her soul form hinted at a sensuous grace, an embodiment of both power and refinement. Adria's body, though not confined by mortal constraints, emanated a magnetic allure that transcended the boundaries of physicality.
Then came the special features of her lineage for she isn't human but a Royal Moon Elf of the highest blood, long elongated ears to her sides, they coming together to form a beautiful blend to her face, high cheekbones lent an aristocratic refinement to her visage, and her lips, painted with a hint of moonlight's kiss, bore a subtle yet alluring curve.
No to mention the beautiful silver symbol of a quarter moon imprinted on her forehead, shinning with vigor, her beauty enough to put several of the Gods of Beauty to shame.
Thousands of years had etched a unique essence into Adria's being. Her soul, once fractured and shattered, now radiated with newfound completeness, thanks to the enigmatic energy Azrail had shared. As the soul energy mended the broken parts of her soul, Adria's emotions rekindled, bringing forth a complexity of feelings that danced like stardust within her.
Adria's soul, in its reinvigorated state, seemed to glow with an inner luminosity. The once-dull ache of forgotten emotions now vibrantly pulsed through her, resonating with the cosmic symphony.
"You are stunningly beautiful," Azrail confessed, his words hanging in the room, a declaration that resonated with a truth beyond mere aesthetics. Adria, her soul form shimmering with newfound vitality, regarded him with a mix of surprise and acknowledgment.
The atmosphere within the room had long since turned silent with a hint of awkwardness. The other ones had no idea what was going on, looking at the scene with narrowed eyes, while Azrail just stood striving to have his eyes meet Adria's, something which she had thought she lost with her chance of getting a second chance.
The curse that was placed on Adria is a very nasty one. For a chance for her to show her face again in life, she had to lose all the chances of her face being seen or even remembered by anyone again. Yep, that's the truth. Right now, any person who knew her face won't be able to remember it. They won't even be able to make out a bit of how her face even looks.
All the memories and everything that existed still remain, but how she looks has been removed from existence. And now, till the end of time, it would be that no one will be able to see her face at all. No one will even be able to record her face on anything that itself will be automatically removed. Nothing shall ever see or remember her face again.
That's the sacrifice that Adria had made. With her sight over the lesser fate, she had sacrificed something to the higher concept of Fate itself to get this chance. Hence, several threads of fate all around the cosmos were pulled altogether at the same time for her life to be given a second chance of revenge after she was bombarded by a group of the more powerful people in the cosmos.
It was a done-and-deal pull of fate that she made. It's not as if her face is being hidden by smoke or anything, it's just the fact that she no longer has a face. The fate lines she pulled to get things done, make it such that she doesn't have a face at all. Thus, in the past, present, and future, she has no face. Her visage was removed from everything.
If any recording had existed of her face, that would have been destroyed, making it such that she might get her revenge, but she would never be truly seen again. And Adria was fine with it. To get her revenge this seemed like a very small price for her to pay, she was more than willing to do it. But now, things have started to become different.
For now, stood in front of her, a boy that seemed to not be wrapped around the cover of Fate itself. It's as if the prize she gave is nothing to the boy in front of her. Thus, with her shock still filling all over her soul, she asked. The source of this content can be connected to n0v3lb!n★
"How?"
To this, Azrail smiled, liking the fact that he was making a woman like Adria fully stunned. One that has stood at the summit and almost destroyed everything. The truth is just like in the first, he too wasn't able to see anything about Adria's face, it was fully destroyed in his mind. But everything changed the moment he gave her that soul energy, that being the changing point.
Adria for the first time in her long life felt very annoyed, her eyes narrowing fully at Azrail as she spoke.
"Don't take me for a fool. I know the deepest price of what I paid, and it's not something that's going to change due to you having a higher connection to souls."
To this, Azrail just kept his smile, taking a step forward. The highest difference between them was huge as he looked up into Adria's eyes as he spoke.
"Then why don't you find out more about myself on your own? Aren't you the fate seer of all secrets, one said to have manipulated the secrets of the cosmos with fate itself? Then why don't see what more you can find about me?"
The challenge of Azrail's words being naked to the room.
'She's beautiful, I want her.'
Azrail thought, and he didn't hide his thoughts from Valencia, who looked at him with narrowed eyes. Azrail isn't doing all this just to make Adria angry. He didn't make her soul stronger, sneakily used the energy to start mending her broken soul points because they are just family, nah, he ain't that good a man.
The inner workings of his mind were indeed to get into the good side of Adria. Her mind, her powers, her knowledge all being extremely useful things that will be of great use to Azrail, who wishes to cover over the whole cosmos itself. And it's for that at the beginning he did everything he did to help Adria. The thought of romantically wooing this ancient virgin didn't cross much through Azrail's mind.
After all, even if he can help her to live again, without seeing how she looks, it's all useless to him. But now, after this sudden change, Azrail now has the desire to possess this beauty, that has never felt the love of a man, that is now slowly coming back to earth with her feelings that had turned dull long ago.
And with such feelings will come unknown new emotions and stuff that she isn't used to, and Azrail will be there every step of the way to take advantage of it. He won't be able to get her now with this childlike look of his, but he can pave a small path for it starting from now, and he won't be able to do it alone. Thinking so, he looked at Valencia, who was giving him a pout.
Yet within her mind's already running several plans on how to throw her dear teacher right into Azrail's clutches.