They called her Lady Greenshade."Well, the princess is here." White Tiger was playing cards with Bear and Awesome outside the room. Vermilion Bird had no interest in cards. She was leaning against the wall, staring outside the window, deep in her thoughts.She heard the sounds of a guest coming, so she turned around with a weird look in her eyes."Oh, Nineve's here." Awesome put down his cards and approached Nineve, trying to butter her up.White Tiger was losing the round. He grinned and looked at Awesome's cards right in front of Bear. Then, he switched out some of the bad cards and kept all the good ones."Hey! You can't do that, White Tiger!" Bear complained."Ah, shut it. I'm the boss here. Besides, Awesome's an outsider. We're family. Family sticks together," chided Bear."Huh? But you're the house here. Awesome, and I are literally allies! You can't do that!"White Tiger punched Bear. "Anything else you want to say?""That's just cheating! I quit!""You ain't quitting
Nox's power returned to him. Soon after, Augustus woke up. "Nox…""Your family has settled in. They're in Northstate as we speak. And I need a favor," Nox said.Augustus quickly pushed himself up. "Anything, Nox!"The boy's shining eyes reminded Nox of his younger years. Augustus was like him. Both were loyal friends and remarkable patriots who were ready to sacrifice themselves for anything. Augustus, however, was the luckier one among the two."Northstate is still in a shaky state. I'll need your family to move into the northern battlefront and keep an eye on things. The Southkings will be the top family in that area. What do you think?" Nox asked."That is… a big deal, Nox. I can't make the call alone. You need to ask my father," said Augustus, a little speechless. He assumed something terrible had happened, given how tense things were.Nox shook his head. He wouldn't ask Augustus if the boy wasn't able to call the shots. "The fact I'm asking you meant I've already talked to y
"But if you didn't get into this mess, your family wouldn't even be able to break White Tiger's Corporeal Beast. Your father's in a tougher spot than you. He had to make a choice between his nation and his son."Nox's explanation answered Augustus' questions, and he cried for his father."Good thing it's all in the past now. You can stand on your own two feet now, so your dad wanted you to make the decision to move or not. I respect whatever decision you make." Nox smiled.Since Augustus' mind was somewhere else, Nox gave him time to think about it. He was about to leave, but Augustus said, "We'll move to Northstate. It's our honor to guard a state."Nox turned around and was met with a determined gaze. He smiled. Augustus was finally growing into a fine man. "Good. Then come with me." Nox led the way while the boy followed closely.He opened the door, and the people outside stopped fighting all at once. Nineve stopped taunting Vermilion Blood. Her eyes shone with mischief, and sh
Everyone moved to the governor-general's place. Nox summoned all the government staff in the northern battlefront. Augustus was confused that there were so many people here. His family was just moving to a new spot. There was no need to be so formal.But when Nox took out the Golden Book of Lords, Augustus realized what he was going to do."Augustus Southking. You have contributed greatly to the battle of Mount Greatwhite, thus aiding Faeast in its sovereignty. You are hereby crowned Marquis of Northstate. You are granted the privilege of appointing your own ministers and creating the local governance."You shall lead your family, the Southkings, to guard Northstate for as long as you live."Augustus was stunned. 'What? Why am I a marquis now?' he wondered."I know it's hard to accept this, but the emperor had this in mind a long time ago, but he couldn't make you a proper marquis before you made any contributions. Now that you have done something, the emperor can see his wish thr
'Ah, she's throwing a tantrum again,' Nox thought.Not many would dare throw a tantrum around him. Nineve was one of those exceptions."I know what you're thinking. Who, to be honest. Queenie. She's living a better life than you. Than me, actually. My father taught her the Limerents' most guarded secrets, and he even made a copy of it for her in case she's too stupid to memorize it. Unbelievable."The best manuals are memorized, not copied down, and given to someone to bring along like they're going on a picnic. It's bound to be stolen somehow. And you made Mr. Edge her mentor. He's like the strongest guy around. If I had that kind of resource, I'd be leaps and bounds stronger now."Nox could see that Nineve was annoyed about that arrangement. Instead of answering, he asked her how she knew Dominic."I never went to Mystia, and neither did my dad, but my grandpa and great-grandpa did. I saw my great-grandpa before. He told us about the real powerhouses of the world. Dominic Edge i
Naturally, Nineve had her good parts as well. Her feelings for Nox never changed, no matter what happened. She could give up her position as princess just for love. Just for him. She could concede and have Queenie be the main girl while she would be the concubine.Naturally, Nox couldn't say that out loud. He could talk about Queenie even less. Quilo taught Queenie all about the Limerents' techniques, not just because of him. Once things like magick and secret techniques were involved, friendship or family alone couldn't be reason enough to teach someone completely.Everyone had their own principles. Quilo gave Queenie all the protection he could afford. He could risk his life for her, but he couldn't teach her all his family's techniques, not even if Nox were to beg for it."You'll understand it someday, Nineve." Nox pulled Nineve into his arms but said nothing. That hug was better than any answer. It showed Nineve that he cared about her.Nineve scrunched up her nose and snorted.
"It's alright. Boys tend to think a lot. We grumble sometimes." Nox laughed."That was no ordinary complaint! I won't allow you to leave! If there's work to be done, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise can do it! You want to train them, right? Then don't do everything yourself!" Nineve kept hounding Nox, refusing to let him leave.Nox said nothing and took her into their bedroom. He listened to her complain and cry until she was tired, and then she hugged Nox and fell into a deep sleep."My princess, you were here to sleep, and now you have what you want." Nox kissed Nineve gently and hugged her as he fell into sleep.The next morning, Nox left his room. He cast a sleeping spell on Nineve so she wouldn't wake up. She'd have a nice dream."The princess is worn out. Let her rest. Do not wake her. She will stir in due time," Nox told the servants that came from Imperia, then he left the residence.Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise were already waiting outsi
These people were stationed abroad and were rarely home. Seeing Nox was a pipedream, but now that their dream had come true. The lads teared up."Thanks for the hard work, people. This is the final stretch, so put your back into it." Nox went and shook hands with the secret agents."It is our duty to serve the nation, milord! It is an honor to serve you! We're prepared to die for the nation!" The secret agents saluted.Nox was glad. No nation's agents could compare to Faeast's. They were the most lovable people in the world.They didn't spend too much time on small talk. Nox was here for business. Vermilion Bird's return meant she would take over Shadow Division. They had bases all over the world and collected information from all corners of the globe. This was the most advanced intelligence agency in the world.Vermilion Bird's underling was reporting the latest news to Nox. Nox found out about it from Vermilion Bird before, and that was why he decided to come to Eropa."Milord,
Their targets were the relics around the altars. The moment the whirlpool showed up, the black energy conjured black walls and kept Brundela on lockdown, cutting off all communications.Possessed by evil spirits, gods from ancient civilizations came back to life. In the underground graveyard, the dead came bursting out of their coffins, and skeletons with phantom flames flickering around them charged at the holy knights and James' secret agents.Nothing more needed to be said. The holy knights' leader led the charge. The other knights resolved to fight to the death as they battled the skeleton gods.James and his secret agents fired off at the enemies, but the bullets did nothing to the skeletons. All they managed was to light a big spark. Only grenades and howitzers could deal damage to them, and even then, the damage was light.The battle was fierce. Though the knights did not fear death, they were still weaker than the prehistoric gods. These skeletons were nigh invincible, and
Nox was hovering higher than the Ice Temple Lord, and he got everyone's attention."Who's that?""It's a Faeastian!""My God, it's the Nine-State Lord!" Nox was known throughout Faeast and the world. Brundela's council members had recognized him the moment he showed up. They had nothing but fear for gods, yet Nox was the strongest man in the Mortal World, so they respected him.The clouds in Brundela's skies were hanging heavily over the ground, and the icy aura they radiated was making everyone shiver. Winter seemed to have come early for Brundela. The temperature was dipping fast.Back in the control center, intelligence agents were watching the surveillance footage closely, and they noticed the altar. The Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators were there, strengthening the altars' seal the best they could. There were soldiers guarding the altar as well.For some reason, the secret agents had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Murphy's Law, as they said.Suddenly,
A sliver of energy flew out of the puppet and gathered natural energy around it. Then, the temperature rose at a blistering rate. Fortunately, Bard's reminder came just in time, and Vermilion Bird was prepared for this. She led her team away from the spot.A pillar of fire engulfed the building, and heat waves shot off in every direction, lethal and deadly. The light eventually faded, and all buildings in a few hundred yards were razed to the ground.If Vermilion Bird had killed the puppet without thinking just now, she would have lost all her men and suffered serious injuries. "That bitch! I'm going to make her into a human swine one day! I'll give her hell!" she cursed.Bard gasped. 'Yeah, women can be really terrifying.' Not one General was a normal person.This incident didn't escape Nox, of course. He saw it through his divine sense. "Heh, you can't fight the flow of history? You say that, Aphrodite, but you've done the same thing more than once. Schemes and plots when your ey
Aphrodite was a master manipulator. She knew the weaknesses of Nox's underlings, and she praised Bard, "At least you know where you stand, Bard. You never overreach. Though we failed to make you one of us, I still thought it'd be a shame to kill you."Bard smiled. "Oh, you're such an actor, Ms. Mousse. You know why we don't like you? Queenie is a genuine lady, just like our lord. You're far inferior to her. And don't flatter yourself. Of course, I know where I stand. I can't even reach the pinnacle of martial arts, let alone cultivation."No matter how smart I am, my lack of talents holds me back. I can never be made an important leader." He was only spared because he couldn't become a threat to the Mousses.Nox didn't use schemes because he didn't need them. Absolute power could trump any plot.Vermilion Bird clenched her teeth. "What is the meaning of this? The lord knows that the bitch is here?"Bard shook his head. Vermilion Bird was a smart woman, but Aphrodite made her lose
Aphrodite felt nothing but sorrow, and Vermilion Bird burst into laughter. "I expected nothing less from these people. Your men are just like their employers. Hey, knights, you guys want to find out more about Faeast martial arts? See those Mousse guys? They're masters. Deal with them."Vermilion Bird gave her orders. She knew these people would escape the moment she showed up. The knights flew off, going after the escaped Mousses. The Mousses were a family of warriors, while these knights were cultivators, to an extent. They wore mystical artifacts, and the Mousses' guys didn't have something like that.The battle was fierce but short. The Mousses' powerhouses were taken out, and the rest were dealt with by the Shadow Division."And now only you're left. Interesting, isn't it? Karma always bites you in the ass. You betrayed my lord, and now your men betray you. You deserve this," Vermilion Bird cursed."Yes, I deserve this, but as long as he wants to be the Nine-State Lord, then w
'The beating heart of this land?' The woman's underlings looked grim. They were supposed to be the master tacticians here. Yet, Nox played them like a cheap kazoo. 'He's a far better tactician than we expected!'Nox began his counterattack not long after the Ocean of Death incident. This woman was none other than Aphrodite, Nox's old flame. When she saw Brundela's fate stabilizing, she knew right then that things had gotten out of her hands."Tell the Mousses in Eropa to retreat right away. There is no need to stay here any longer. He's not attacking us because he's waiting for us to do the same. The moment our men try to start anything, he'll swoop in and take them all out. "No one can beat him if he decides to go all the way. Not even me," said Aphrodite.Suddenly, the Mousses' powerhouse noticed something. "I sense bloodlust. Who goes there? Show yourself!" The powerhouses unsheathed their weapons and stood around Aphrodite, protecting her.A group of black silhouettes appeare
Now they had one, and it was Elizabeth. Her speech awakened the bravery and courage lying within the people of Brundela. An overwhelming majority of the council members stood up and chanted, "Long live the queen! Long live Brundela!""Good." Nox noticed something. The fate of Brundela stopped its downward shift and was stabilizing."The Mortal World and mortals. The Realm of the Gods has been here for millennia, and still, I can't figure out how mortals work." The Ice Temple Lord was confused. These mortals were prone to deception and scams. They were weak and frail. Yet, they had the potential to unleash strength that could shock even the gods."It's solidarity. You guys wouldn't get it. You call yourselves gods and lock yourselves up in the Realm of the Gods. You try to enslave the world despite being so out of touch with it."Do you know why I call you false gods? True gods are omnipotent. Their word is law. They can change the rules that govern this world just by saying it, b
Ice Temple's Lord didn't even look at Dickson. The man was so crushed that there wasn't even a hint of arrogance left in his soul. The Ice Temple's Lord's technique locked his spirit. So, it was not severely weakened. Thus, He would die very soon, even without the Ice Temple's Lord attacking him."Please, leader of gods. You are the only true god. I swear my undying loyalty to you. Spare me, please!" Dickson begged for his life.Dickson finally met his match. The arrogant would-be king couldn't even do anything against the Ice Temple's Lord."Oh, I can save you, but what makes you think you're worth it? You're lower than scum, and you think you have the right to ask for my favor? Repent and pray, then I might make it quick for you. Refuse, and only unending hell awaits."That threat scared Dickson. He cried and begged for mercy. He cursed his own soul and put his faith in a god stronger than his master."And you think you deserve the gift of life, maggot? Open your eyes, mortals
Two cultivators were fighting in mid-air, while the other Ice Temple cultivators made an invisible barrier to keep them in, or the council hall would be destroyed from the impact of the fight.The battle was awe-inspiring, and Dickson became smug. So what if his enemy was a leader of gods? Perhaps he was no match for one, but the Assad gods could easily destroy him if a slave could fight him for a prolonged period.Ice Temple's Lord realized that Dickson couldn't feel pain as the essence had nearly devoured his spirit. He was nothing if not feral, and he did not fear death at all. A brilliant idea appeared in his mind. He could create an army of fearless gods if he could get his hands on this technique.Nox said telepathically, "How much longer are you going to take? He's just a useless tribute. Do you honestly want to keep this up until he burns himself away?"Ice Temple's Lord's pupils contracted, and he looked at Nox. Nox looked up from his book. The Ice Temple Lord thought th