"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
They then strolled down the streets. Lots of stuff was on sale. Some were real, some were fake, some were good, and some were bad.Most talismans and cinnabar were fake. The wooden swords were mainly made of wooden bats, and haphazardly too. They weren't even blessed. After a round of strolling, Nox found nothing he wanted. It was vexing.Jebediah noticed his look of displeasure. He mused over his options for a bit. "Milord, there's a shop in the northern part of the town. An ancient shop. They say almost everything they sell is real. Should we check it out?""Very well.""I'll lead the way." Jebediah led Nox on another trip. On the way there, Jebediah said, "That shop is famous. Peony Abode, it's called. Riverton sorcerers love to shop there. Even guys from out of town would buy from the shop."Nox didn't care about that. He just wanted to get an excellent component to refine. A while later, they saw an old courtyard house from afar. The place felt ancient, and a plaque from the
"He's the VIP for all the bluebloods in the north."A frown furrowed Jebediah's forehead. "Why'd the owner of this place hire a geomancy master?""Wait, you don't know? Are you from out of town?"Jebediah nodded.The man said, "Fine, I'll tell you. See the flowers?" He pointed at the parterre. It was home to peonies. Wilted peonies, however.Curious, Jebediah said, "Yeah. And they're all wilted. Peonies, I assume?""Righto, but do you know that the flowers have not wilted for a hundred years?" the man said."What? The flowers stayed in bloom for a century? Is that a joke?" Jebediah was stunned."No, sir. Do you know why the shop got its name? This is why: the parterre of peonies that haven't wilted for a hundred years—until half a month ago, that is. The boss was panicked, so he hired this guy to check things out."That answered Jebediah's question. 'So that's how this place got its name,' he mused. 'No wonder the boss hired a geomancy master to help out.'Nox said nothing, b
"Master Flame, you must help me. I'll give you a million and a half. And I'll give you everything my shop has!" Mr. Windsor buzzed with excitement."Of course. I'll make a formation to draw out the earth's negative energy and balance out the energy overflow. Your peonies will bloom again in no time," said Master Flame.Everyone was in a good mood, but then someone exclaimed, "What a load of bullcrap!"Shocked, everyone turned around and saw a regal, handsome man stepping forward. That caught their attention.Mr. Windsor glared at Nox. "Who are you, punk? What is the meaning of this?"He thought, 'I spent so much time and money to get Master Flame here. I will not let anyone mess it up!'A retail assistant noticed Nox. "Boss, he's a customer!""A customer? I told you not to let anyone in today! Kick him out!" ordered Mr. Windsor shrilly."A minute," Master Flame stopped Mr. Windsor. He looked at Nox, his eyes narrowed. "You claim what I said was… nonsense. Why do you think so? P
"Do you even know the techniques involved in this work? Dragon's Expedition? Hidden Gold's Search?" Seymour stepped ahead, the air around him fierce.Nox, however, was unfazed. "I've never read anything you said, but I know you're wrong." He pointed at the parterre."This is no Positive Cell, and you can't balance the energy with negative energy. That won't make the flowers bloom. If you do that, you'll kill them faster. Go ahead, try it out."Rage had enveloped Seymour's mind. "How dare you doubt my skills! When I was already a pro, you weren't even born yet! I'll show you what it means to be a pro geomancer!"Seymour let out a roar and quickly plucked a wilted peony. He made a hand seal and started chanting under his breath. Everyone stared at him unblinkingly."He's going to cast a spell! Look!"Seymour's chanting went on for five minutes, then he roared again and made another hand seal. He pointed at the peony, and an invisible sliver of energy shot into the flower.A retail
"What?""The flower's wilted again!"Everyone was dumbfounded. Mr. Windsor saw red. He glared at Nox with murder. "What did you do, you bastard? You killed my flower!" he roared.Everyone else hurled insults at Nox as well. They thought Nox was pulling something."Ignorant fools." Nox harrumphed and let them be. He then turned to the silent Seymour. "What about you? Do you think I did this?"Seymour was at a loss for words. That 'spell' he used to revive the peony was just a trick. It wasn't easy to revive a wilted flower, after all."You killed my peonies, and now you're threatening Master Flame? Men, kick this scum out of my shop!"The retail assistants came forward. Since these people thought so lowly of him, Nox sighed. "Fine. You made your bed, so you're going to lie in it. Don't come to me for any help. But before I go, I'll show you what I can do."Nox stepped ahead, and a great wave of magick undulated across the courtyard and crashed on the wilted parterre. "I command
"Don't worry, the flowers won't be alive for long.""What? What's that supposed to mean?""The flowers will wilt soon after this," Nox answered."But why? I saw them blooming again." Jebediah was confused."Of course, you don't know why. The cause for the peonies' wilting stems from something underground.""Underground?""Yes." Nox's eyes shone. The moment he saw the parterre, he felt something underground radiating great heat. It was thanks to that item that the parterre was wilting.However, Nox had no idea what that item was.While Nox was in the middle of the explanation, someone shouted, "Sir, please, a minute! A minute!"Nox and Jebediah turned around. They saw Mr. Windsor and his employees coming up to them.Jebediah frowned. "You guys?"Mr. Windsor was panting heavily, but he was bowing to Nox and apologizing profusely. "I am very sorry for what I did, sir. I apologize for my mistakes. Please, forgive me." He went down on his knees.Nox said, "Finally realized your
Mr. Windsor was petrified with awe. The parterre's truth was a secret guarded through generations. Ages ago, his family had a formation master, and under the parterre was a formation to gather wealth.Nox saw through it when Seymour failed to. Mr. Windsor was now looking at Nox with newfound respect.His hesitation, however, prompted Nox to ask, "Are you refusing?"Mr. Windsor gritted his teeth. "N-No! I'll dig the stuff up if you keep my flowers alive.""We have a deal." Nox smiled. He had no idea what was hidden underground, but he knew it was priceless."Can you come back with me, then?" Mr. Windsor asked politely.Nox and Jebediah went back to the shop. A fearful Seymour quickly bowed to Nox. "My humblest greetings, sir. I apologize for my earlier behavior. Please do not take it to heart."Nox didn't attack Seymour; he waved him down. "I don't mind. Next time, don't pull any cheap tricks."Embarrassed, Seymour wanted to hide in a hole. He didn't argue with Nox. "I will keep
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