Novel Full Chapter 1012: First Meeting
Chapter 1012: First Meeting
The atmosphere inside the room instantly became heavier.
If Michael had heard these words, he would have first cursed the empire for concealing their true strength so deeply.
Together with Eunuch Liang, who was clearly a close confidant of the emperor, it meant the empire had at least five Legendary beings, and that was before accounting for whatever other trump cards they might possess.
Michael currently had no idea that the upper levels of the empire were already discussing him seriously and treating him as a genuine enemy.
Even if he knew, he honestly would not have found it strange. After all, with the deaths of two imperial princes, this matter had already long surpassed Arianne’s death alone.
Whatever personal grudge existed at the beginning had now escalated into something far larger.
At this point, Michael and the Black Serpent Empire could truly be considered enemies.
At this moment, Michael had already quietly entered the imperial capital itself.
Naturally, sneaking into the capital of such a massive empire was not an easy task for ordinary people. Countless magic circles covered the city walls while heavily armed guards patrolled everywhere.
Above the capital, flying knights circled slowly beneath the clouds while detection arrays continuously scanned the surroundings.
Unfortunately for the empire, Michael was not ordinary. With Wisdom’s assistance alongside his various concealment methods, entering the city silently was far easier than most would imagine.
Currently, Michael stood atop one of the capital’s tallest buildings while quietly observing the city beneath him.
Honestly, the Black Serpent Capital truly deserved its reputation as one of the finest in the world. Even Michael had to admit this place was incomparably prosperous.
The streets below stretched endlessly like black rivers beneath countless glowing spirit lamps.
Massive flying ships could be seen moving slowly through the skies at intervals while enormous towers covered in draconic carvings rose throughout the city one after another.
People filled the streets everywhere. Warriors. Merchants. Nobles. Soldiers.
The flow of mana throughout the city alone was several times richer than Lionheart’s capital. Even the weakest guards standing casually at street corners possessed cultivation levels that would already qualify them as experts in smaller kingdoms.
The deeper Michael looked, the more he understood why the Black Serpent Empire had ruled this region for so long. This was not merely a powerful nation. It was a true hegemonic force.
However, as Michael continued observing the capital, he noticed that beneath all that prosperity, the entire city felt strangely oppressive.
At first glance, everything appeared lively and glorious. Yet after observing longer, Michael slowly noticed certain details. The way ordinary civilians lowered their heads instinctively whenever nobles passed. The fear hidden within the eyes of weaker cultivators.
There were several more examples like these.
This place was a city where bloodline truly mattered. Status mattered. Birth mattered. Family mattered. It seemed to matter more than strength, perhaps even more than morality itself.
In the Black Serpent Empire, noble blood was almost law. And those standing at the very top of that hierarchy naturally possessed the right to trample everyone beneath them.
Michael quietly watched a carriage pass below after hitting an old woman on the road, escorted by armored soldiers who did not even slow down. The people on the street immediately moved aside instinctively. No one dared block the road. No one dared complain. Even the guards nearby lowered their heads respectfully.
Michael remained silent for several seconds afterward. Then eventually, he exhaled softly.
"...No wonder."
No wonder the Third Prince had grown into that sort of person. In this empire, power and bloodline had already become absolute privileges long ago. Someone born at the top could likely spend their entire life without ever hearing the word no.
Thinking this, Michael’s eyes slowly turned colder again.
At the same time, Wisdom quietly perched upon his shoulder while observing the capital with glowing white eyes.
Suddenly, Michael turned to look toward the empty air beside him. "...Since you’re already here, Emperor," he said calmly, "why not come out?"
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then space distorted quietly. A tall middle-aged man dressed in black robes stepped out from the void itself. His expression remained calm, yet the surrounding air instantly became heavier the moment he appeared.
The Black Serpent Emperor.
However, neither Michael nor Wisdom looked surprised in the slightest. Clearly, both of them had already noticed his presence long ago.
Michael casually stroked Wisdom’s feathers once more afterward. The owl let out a soft cry before its body dissolved silently into space.
The emperor’s gaze lingered briefly where Wisdom had disappeared. "...That is a special bird." His deep voice echoed calmly across the rooftop. "I do not know its species, but creatures capable of entering the void without a monster lineage to support them are rare even across the entire world."
Michael nodded slightly afterward. "Thank you."
Silence fell briefly between the two. The imperial capital below remained lively and noisy as always, yet the atmosphere atop the tower felt strangely cold.
Eventually, Michael spoke first again. "Since we both already know how this ends," he said calmly, "we should probably skip the unnecessary conversation and get straight to it."
The emperor slowly raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
His gaze sharpened slightly afterward. "You do not seem very concerned for someone who is surrounded."
The emperor’s aura quietly spread across the surroundings. Meanwhile below, the ordinary civilians throughout the capital remained completely unaware of what was happening above them.
However, upon hearing the emperor’s words, Michael suddenly laughed softly. Then he shook his head.
"No."
The emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Michael’s smile widened faintly afterward. "I’m not surrounded."
The next instant, without hesitation, the emperor’s hand shot directly toward Michael’s neck. The surrounding air exploded violently.
Unfortunately, he grabbed nothing.
The emperor’s eyes immediately lifted upward. His gaze narrowed.
High above the imperial capital, several hundred figures had already appeared silently throughout the sky. At the center of them all stood Michael calmly in midair.