Queenie felt much better after Nox cleared things up with her. "Nono, how'd you know I was sick? You don't even have my number now.""It's all thanks to your cousin.""My cousin?""Yes. He gave me a call and told me about you." Nox told everything that happened to Queenie.Queenie was excited to hear Derek was around. "Derek? Gods, it's been years since I saw him. Where is he?" she asked quickly."Probably outside. Let's meet up with him.""Sure. Derek's the best. We've been close since we were kids. However, after graduating from college, some kind of national security agency recruited him. He never told us about the deets, and now he's in Riverton." Queenie walked out with Nox.Nox knew why Derek kept it a secret. The Shadow Division members must keep their jobs private. Fundamental rules, of course.They were tied to the nation's security, but more importantly, if their identities were known, the enemies could hold their friends and family hostage to threaten them.Jebediah
Nox scratched his nose and smiled wryly. "I'll tell you later."Queenie eyed him with suspicion. "Fine." She was disappointed that she missed Derek but then looked at the skies. The air felt warm. "Nono, I wanna go shopping. You gotta come with me.""Sure. We can go anywhere you want," Nox said gently."That's more like it." Queenie happily turned to her parents. "I'm heading out, you guys."Yvette didn't dare object, so she forced a smile. "Don't stay out too late. You're still weak.""Okay." Queenie and Nox left.Once they were gone, George couldn't hold it in anymore. His legs buckled, and he fell to the ground. "Dear gods. What did we do wrong to deserve Greenshade?" George bawled and whined like a big baby.Yvette quickly helped George up. "Calm down, George. As long as Queenie's fine, it's all okay.""My foot! That bastard's friend almost killed me! This is unacceptable!" Rage bubbled in George's soul."What do you want, then?""What do I want? I will never let that bas
After Jebediah was gone, a Stretch Lincoln Limousine appeared at the end of the road. Though it was a few hundred yards away, Nox felt it the moment it showed up, but he kept quiet.The couple kept walking straight. Queenie wanted to grab some coffee, so they went into a coffee shop. They placed their orders, and Nox said, "Give me a second. I need to use the restroom.""Sure," Queenie replied.Nox went through the backdoor and disappeared into thin air.The limousine was still tailing Nox and Queenie. It was parked by the road. Faye, Mr. Inkheart, Larry, and the bald guy silently waited in the car.No one noticed a silhouette suddenly appearing on the top of the limousine. He appeared out of thin air, and then, everyone heard a chilly voice ask, "How dare you tail me, you curs?"Everyone in the car shivered. They knew where that voice came from. It was above the car. Everyone looked up, and Larry gasped in shock. A moment ago, no one was up there, and now, Nox was standing right
"Is that so?" Nox took a seat."Yeah. Take a sip and give me a review." Queenie pushed a cup of steaming hot coffee over to Nox.Nox took it from her and had a taste. The coffee was bitter at first, but there was something fresh in it. 'Good coffee,' he thought."It's not bad," said Nox."Glad you liked it." Queenie beamed.The couple chatted away happily, and a while later, they were done with their coffee. Queenie suggested they go shopping at the mall. Nox nodded.They came out of the coffee shop, and Nox tasted danger in the air. The moment it came close, Nox darted ahead and defended Queenie. "Queenie, look out!"The explosion of a rifle shot tore through the street. A tanned Voxlian man was lying on the windowsill of a building across the street. He was holding the Destroyer, a Voxlian anti-tank rifle.The Destroyer was Voxlia's most powerful sniper rifle. It was over six feet six inches long, and its bullets were 20 millimetres wide.The rifle could easily destroy a tan
Before their attacks could land, a woman roared, "Who dares attack Mr. Greenshade?"A quartet of silhouettes charged into the battlefields. They were Faye and her men. A moment ago, she and her men were going to leave, given what Nox did to them.Before they could go far, however, they heard a gunshot. Curious, they quickly came to the spot and were met with the Voxlian killers attacking Nox. As a token of sincerity, Faye decided to deal with the killers for Nox.Mr. Inkheart, Larry, and the bald guy quickly battled the killers. Nox frowned. He was about to kill these bastards himself, but the Sovereign's Society's meddling stopped him. He was surprised they would help, given he almost killed them a while ago.The killers were caught by surprise as well. Screams dotted the air as Larry, and Mr. Inkheart took out five killers.The killers weren't weak, but they were no match for a Zen realm sorcerer and two Greater Combatants. Larry and the bald guy tore through the ranks of the ki
Faye pulled more masks down. The killers were all the warriors guarding the auction. "Voxlians. Dammit all! They tried to scam our money, and now they're assassinating you? Unbelievable! They should die for this!" Faye snarled.Nox said nothing. They could send in twenty Grandmasters, and he'd still be unfazed. Twenty killers were nothing. He'd killed more than a hundred Grandmasters before."Who are these guys, Nono? They just killed all those people. And who are those masked men?" A pale Queenie tugged on Nox's hem nervously. She was just a civilian who'd never seen any murders.Before Nox could say anything, Faye smiled at Queenie. "We're Mr. Greenshade's friend, lady. Don't take this the wrong way. These masked killers are our enemies.""You're his friend?" Queenie stared at the gorgeous Faye."Yes. It's the Sovereign's Society's honor to befriend someone like Mr. Greenshade. We'd love to know if he'd be our friend," Faye flattered.Nox wouldn't take that bait. He ignored Fay
Keith quickly approached Nox. "Milord, I apologize for my tardiness! I will take any punishment!""Nothing but small fries. Don't sweat it," said Nox."I have neglected your security, milord.""I said stop beating yourself up. There's no need to lead an army to war over curs," Nox said dismissively."Yes, milord. You alone tore through their ranks and stared down the Voxlian palace, forcing the royalty to sign a treaty. Of course these curs were no match for you," said Keith confidently."There's no need to bring up the past now," said Nox."I will forget nothing if it's about you, milord." Keith smiled.Keith and Nox were chatting while the Shadow Division members had their guns pointed at the heads of Faye and her men. Faye thought this was a bit unfair. She couldn't cross the Shadow Division or Nox.All she wanted was to get on Nox's good side and befriend him, but now the Shadow Division was arresting them. 'What should we do?' she wondered."Please, people, this is a mist
"Rank A members, huh?""Yes. That's the reason I left in a hurry. I didn't think they'd come so soon." Keith clenched his fists, an aura of murder rolling around him."I don't care what rank they are. Any intruders will die," said Nox."Yes, milord." They talked for a bit, and Keith told the Shadow Division members to take Nox back to Dragoncourt. He couldn't stay around because of the fight with the Rank A members.After Nox was taken home, Keith and his team members hurried off. Nox came back to the estate alone. Jebediah was in the courtyard, teasing Thalia. Both of them came up to Nox, but he said nothing.Nox went into his room. The attempt on his life didn't bother him, but something else did—Queenie's safety. He wasn't scared of any threats or assassins, but Queenie was a different story.She was a civilian, and Nox couldn't always stay with her. His priority now was to protect his girlfriend. 'But what can I use?' he mulled."Oh yeah. A protective item. If she has one, s
Dominic's energy formed a barrier, and his sword merged with his astral form. This was a true fusion between man and sword."Do you want to die that much, old man? It's not too late to back out. I can set up an exit, and your astral form can leave. Refuse, and I will snuff you out." The empress' face contorted. She was a demoness, and not an ounce of her beauty was left on her face.Dominic laughed. "Death does not scare me. It is not the end. Glory is what I seek. Generations to come will know me as a saintly swordsman, but none will remember even your name. You failed even after seventy thousand years. You will not get what you want! Give up on your delusions and accept reality!"There was a hint of death wish in Dominic's will-of-the-sword. Should he die in this battle, his name would be known throughout Faeast. He wasn't scared at all."Damn you. I will kill you! None of your faction will live!" The empress' third eye was bloodshot, and then the crimson strings came crawling ou
Aphrodite didn't react much. She said, "If she kills you, it's a good thing. Proves that you're a capable person. It's easy to kill someone. Not so much when it comes to controlling the heart. She doesn't have the power to control your soul just yet.""What the hell are you talking about? Same difference. Just tell me what I should do now. My sacred beasts are running out of energy. I can't ask them to put their lives on the line. They're practically an endangered species! They mustn't die!" Kirin had no choice but to call back the sacred beasts that'd exhausted their energy and dispel them.The Generals weren't sacred beasts, but they were Kirin's friends. He couldn't watch them die here."Oh, pipe down. There's nothing to worry about." Aphrodite snorted."So you have a plan?" Kirin thought they had hope, seeing that Aphrodite was so calm."No. I did everything I could. Everything is in fate's hands now," said Aphrodite."Dammit! What do you mean you did everything you could? I
"We're out." Dominic and Queenie were back in the real world. He saw the demonic mountain and the desolate world around him, and he wondered if this was another formation."We're out, master. This is the real world. Nono said Flame Emperor's trapped under the mountain," said Queenie solemnly."No, it's not the mountain that has him trapped; it's the empress." Dominic gasped. "No, that's not right. She doesn't have the right or authority to do that." He frowned. "And where's Nox?" he asked curiously. He only got out thanks to Nox's guidance, but the guy was nowhere to be found.Nox and Nineve fell into another illusion formation, and this time, they were transported back to Imperia. The formation carved out the whole city, and Nox was surprised it managed that. Nineve's head was spinning. She grabbed Nox's arm and wouldn't stop talking."Are we back in Imperia? You killed that bitch, Nox?"Nox was speechless. "No, we're in another illusion. Dammit, this can't trap me, but figuring
"What is he doing? Is he going to put everything on the line? No, he's trying to take the domain's control from me. How dare he! No, the golden kirin is something much more ancient than I am. If he activates some sort of secret spell, he might actually pull this off!"The empress would not leave this battle to chance. One mistake, and she would lose everything. She had no choice but to do everything she could to stop Kirin. However, using her eye power meant she would be distracted.And an opening was created.Nox was in the mist, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Weird. The mist is growing thin. The empress' eye power is weakening?" This might be a trap, but Nox didn't care."Eight Saintly Techniques, Blazing Holy Eyes." Nox's golden eyes appeared and dispelled most of the mist. Right away, he found an opening. "Heaven's Demise! Shatter this thing!"He cast a Forbidden Art, and flames burned everything. A talisman sprang forth and burned into a crisp. The moment its ashes w
Nox, Nineve, Queenie, and Dominic were in the mist, all worried about one another. Back in Celestial Domain, the spirits' attack was growing fiercer. Some were even close to devouring the sacred beasts. Kirin had to call back the sacred beasts and send them away to keep the bloodline going."There are too many people who have died in this place over the last seventy millennia. We can't hope to kill them all. We can't last much longer at this rate." Kirin himself was bearing too much weight. He couldn't join the fray."I think it's time," Aphrodite suddenly said."What? Is it the final moment?" Kirin asked solemnly."No. I mean the empress is backed into a corner. You might think she's still relentless, but I think she's at her wit's end. Time to give her the final push. She's too tense, and one little distraction is enough to create an opening," answered Aphrodite seriously.Kirin had no idea what she had in mind, but he knew she wasn't lying. She was doing this for a reason. "Wha
Queenie was a little shocked. 'Next time? Please, no.'"I knew something was wrong. Nono wasn't sure if Nineve was Flame Emperor's descendant, but the one in the illusion was certain. I knew it was fake, but I couldn't help myself." Queenie sighed. She still couldn't get over herself.Dominic laughed. "You need some confidence. Be arrogant if you have to. It's better than to be craven. If Nineve is a Sovereign's descendant, then there must be a reason for your being here. Let's see if we can uncover the mystery."Dominic was about to take Queenie into a search for the truth, but Queenie stopped him. "Tell me the truth. Since you're an astral form, does that mean you're a sacrifice too?" she asked solemnly."No, not exactly. I can't break the formation, but I can enter it, though that comes with a price. It can't hurt me, but going out won't be easy." It was pointless to lie now, after all."So the empress can't hurt you for now, but if she wants to drag everyone down with her and
The empress didn't want Queenie to kill herself. She needed Queenie's willpower to crumble so she could plant her soul technique inside her. Once she controlled Queenie, Nox would have to relent if he wanted her freedom.Queenie was slowly walking into an abyss. "If my death can make you happy, then I will sacrifice myself, even if it can only take a bit off your shoulder."Sacrificing herself for Nox was a way for Queenie to fulfill her wish. Just when the empress thought she would succeed, a flash of holy light burst through the ground. Dominic had arrived, sword in hand."What?" The empress' eyes went wide. She thought, 'The old man entered my formation with nothing but his astral form just to save her?'Dominic harrumphed. "Surprised? Never thought I'd risk my own life?" He turned to Queenie. "Don't listen to her bullshit, Queenie! Nox has always been a straightforward man. No one can force him to do what he doesn't want to do! He's nice to you because he wants to!"No guilt t
His body was decayed, and violent energy radiated from head to toe. He was like a beast. Queenie had never seen him like this. Even though she knew this was an illusion, it still scared her. Perhaps this was what Nox would be like if he turned to the side of evil. If he wasn't a Sovereign, he would be a demon.Just like Nameless, he would be infamous. Nox slowly stepped toward the beach like a demon who'd clawed back out of hell. The sea was dyed red from his demonic energy. Everywhere Nox stepped, black, pungent lotuses bloomed."Look what you did to me, Queenie. Why did you save me? I am a loyal man, but I had to abandon Aphrodite to repay my debt to you! Who do you think you are? Even without Aphrodite, I have Nineve! She is royalty. A princess. A descendant of Flame Emperor."It is just right that I marry her. We are the perfect match! You keep hounding me just because you saved me. You made me marry a commoner! Do you know how hard I had it? I had to put on an act every day, te
Dos took a good look. Dominic did look like he was dead. "What is this? I can't sense any aura from him. But he's powerful enough. He shouldn't have walked into her trap." He thought Dominic might be trapped in a formation. If he didn't step into it, he wouldn't see Dominic. But if he did, he would be trapped, just like Dominic.Then, a ripple of energy came out of the training chamber. Dos was on guard. He mused about it and realized Dominic was trying to contact him. Obviously, Dominic saw him.Back in the mist, Dominic's astral form saw Dos. "Don't be stupid, Dos. They want you to walk into the formation. Remember why I called you back," said Dominic solemnly.At the same time, Dos was thinking hard. He was a master of talismans. This was probably why Dominic called him back. "I understand. Even if I can't help you, I won't walk into this trap." He made a few runes in the air and called upon a few powerful mystical artefacts to form a formation.Then, a formation appeared, and r