Lord Shadow

Azief look around him, his eyes scanning the room. His piercing hazel eyes look at the room like he could see through everything.

He smirks a bit.

‘He truly thinks highly of me’ Azief thought to himself as the wind outside the room blows serenely.

‘Arrays formation were etched invisibly in every corner of this room, in every tile, on each pillars’ Azief mused.

He prepares a lot.

‘It is pretty good’ he said as he take a sip at his tea. Of course the other person sitting on a seat not too far away from Azief smiles bitterly.

Because he doesn’t know whether Azief were referring to his tea or his current treatment. He was not too stupid to see that Azief has seen his little tricks.

‘The tea was refreshing though I prefer something more powerful.’ Azief said

Will was sitting on the opposite side of Azief table examining some crystals. Azief did not order Will to do anything.

Will knows better what to look for. Looking at the chair he is sitting he must admit this world he left a year ago is now different.

The chair was light and it is made of wood but it glowed with bluish color and give a cold chill that helps the people sitting on it feeling refreshed.

Many things have changed he mused.

“It is passable’ the man sitting on the opposite side of the room said. The man was slender and still had that lanky figure but there is no longer metal crown on the top of his head.

But his majesty could not be denied as he once ruled a lot of people and a great leader of a large and vast region.

The man was Lee Sangmin. His hair is still short and straight but there is a scar on his left cheek. It is a claw mark.

Azief noted it but did not ask.

‘I am surprised you founded a village here.’ Azief said

‘Circumstances forces me.’ Sangmin said calmly. Azief know enough there are not many circumstances that could force such a man to fall into such pathetic state.

He had his suspicion so he test the waters

‘What about the World Government?’ Will ask from the background. Will ask nonchalantly but the atmosphere inside the room almost imperceptibly turns tense.

Azief smiles knowing that his suspicion has been answered.

Lee Sangmin smiles bitterly before replying in a bitter tone.

‘Let say we have a misunderstanding’ Azief chuckles hearing this answer. Sangmin immediately change the topic gesturing towards Azief and said

‘What more surprising is you have finally return. The United Front Alliance would be happy to know that you and Will has returned. We could use your help in this crisis’

Azief nodded before asking

‘This is why I ask to see you, Lee Sangmin. There is a lot of things I didn’t know now. Like what is this United Front Alliance? I hope you could enlighten me on some things.’ Azief said calmly.

Azief knew now is the time to pool all the strength of humanity or there won’t be an Earth to fight for after.

It doesn’t matter if after this they become enemies, but at this moment every person needs to unite together to battle this threat.

Azief was not naïve to think if they survived this calamity that the world will suddenly found peace.

People don’t work like that.

As there are good people in the world, there is evil people also.

But even evil people knew the concept of self-preservation. To be blunt, it is evil people that understand self-preservation the most.

So Azief will not be surprised that he will see a lot of unsavory people unites together in this times of chaos.

But he also held no illusion that after this calamity passes the world will suddenly become better of peaceful all of sudden.

People who seek power will seek power, people who seek treasures will seek treasures. That is what people are.

They move according to their will.

Sangmin nodded at Azief question no realizing Azief was contemplating many things.

It is understandable. You were absent for a year. A lot has changed.’

Sangmin replies as he look at a person beside him and call him

‘Anuta!’ Sangmin gestured to the person standing beside him. Azief recognize the guy. He was Anuta, one of the Generals of the Forest Region on Fake Earth.

Azief noted that the man was brave and had a good grasp of his abilities and the enemy abilities.

Wang Jian also agree with this assessment when they first meet this man a long time ago.

‘Let me explain, Prince.’ Azief let the title name pass.

The United Front Alliance was conceived on the First Assembly Meetings of the World Council. During the Assembly, World Government, Revolutionary Army, Daehan Army and a few other smaller but powerful faction decided to pool their resources to combat the Weronian invasion. It is a united font form to deal with the invasion.’

Azief was still sipping his tea when he realize something.

‘Did the League of Freedom join?’

‘They didn’t.’

‘Hmm. How do they survives then?’

Azief is not naïve enough to think that the world Government and the Revolutionary Army, the two biggest faction in the world created the united front only to save the world form the invasion.

They must also have the intention to consolidate their powers.

And they would not like the disobedience shown by the Leagues of Freedom.

So, Azief expected them to be wiped out. The last time Azief saw the League of Freedom, he noted while there are some worthy people in the organization, they are too small and too weak.

Sangmin replies

‘They have a Battlestar, the Philippines support in the form of Queen Maya and Phillipe who have the support of Belgium.’

Azief quickly understand

‘They created an alliance.’ Azief muttered as he understand more.

‘This League of Freedom, they truly surprises me at every turn.’ Azief compliment but his tone was cold.

Azief knows that the scheme he almost fall into last time was probably the handiwork of the League of Freedom but Azief had no proof.

Whether all of the organization was in on it or there is only some high level members that plotted against him he do not know.

There is also the fact that if he started eradicating every small faction that went against him then he will have the risk of being the common enemy.

Azief do not like to underestimate himself. He knows he is strong. But he also knows that his strength could not yet be considered as all powerful.

He could not fight millions levelers. This is not like Earth Two or Earth 39 where all of them are weak humans.

They are levelers just like him and some powerful; levelers might not be public. And he himself is not some kind of slaughterer that kills without rhyme or reasons.

If he is like that then he is no different from any monsters.

Sangmin was also sipping his tea when he nodded agreeing with Azief statement about the League of Freedom.

‘They have grand scheme’ He added.

‘I’m sure they do’ Azief nodded in agreement.

‘What else do you want to know?’ Sangmin asked

‘Why here?’

‘Why what here?’

Why create a village in a middle of nowhere?’ Azief ask.

‘Because this is far away from my enemies and….’

‘And?’

‘I discover something interesting about the pillars.’ And hearing this Azief eyebrows rises up a bit as he quickly control his facial expression

The pillars intrigues him because he do not understand it.

‘You mean the pillars that was stretching upwards to the sky? That pillars?’

‘Yes.’

Azief put down his tea cup and then asked.

‘What is that pillars?’ There was silence for a while inside the room. Will keep examining the crystal while Anuta loyally stands beside Sangmin.

Then Sangmin sighed before saying

‘The remains of energy from the bodies of elders of the Weronians or maybe their great generals. We don’t know their rank but we do know they are extremely powerful. They are at Divine Comprehension Level if we are to parallel their strength to ours’

‘Wait?’ Azief realizes something as he ask

‘Then what stops them from colonizing our planet?’

‘That’s what we don’t know. The moment they enter Earth atmosphere, they dive bomb five location.’

‘The Stonehenge, the Great Sphinx of Giza in Cairo, The Nazca Desert in Peru, The Easter Island and somewhere in South American wilderness.’

It was a weird location to dive-bomb people. But then Azief remembers something. The Celestial War five millennium ago.

Could it be that this standing monuments and wonders of the world had something to do with the many great beings that once warred across the galaxies for Earth possession?

The Stonehenge, the Great Sphinx of Giza in Cairo, The Nazca Desert in Peru, The Easter Island and somewhere in South American wilderness

Each of those places have some mysteries.

If it’s the Nazca Desert could it be somewhere around the Nazca Line? If it somewhere in the South American wilderness could it be the Mayan Civilizations?

Azief knows most than most people.

That the pagan gods the old ancestors of humanity used to worship are not some figment of imagination but beings that possess such power that they could be viewed as Gods.

He knew Asgard existed. He knew Olympus existed. He knew that the Jade Palace existed. And if all of that existed, then maybe the myths are all true.

‘They sacrificed their body and souls to create that pillars.’ Sangmin words bring Azief out of his own world.

‘To box us in?’ Azief muttered

‘No, to prevent someone else coming in’ Sangmin said confidently. Azief fell into deep contemplation.

It is like he presume.

Probably the Weronian fears the Seven Intergalactic Alliance. But he doesn’t one hundred percent agree with Sangmin statement.

Azief think not only that the Weronian want to prevent something coming in, they also want to prevent something coming out.

The Earth is a great prize. But Azief believes by now, the Weronians has found out about the World Orb.

Judging by its ability to create thing out of nothing, Azief knows the World Orb must be a precious treasure.

It is why he schemed so much to get the spear back on Earth 39.

Azief had a thought that maybe the World Orb is actually the fabled All Source. The reason why Azief wanted the spear is because he wanted to form his Disk by using the Spear.

If it’s really the All Source, Azief will bind himself to the All Source energy and he would improve drastically from the moment he reach Disk Formation.

It is still just an idea but the more he thought about it the more he thought that it is feasible.

Creating his Disk using the fragment of the All Source….that has become his objective right now.

Then Azief relaxing himself on the chair asked

‘What about my friends? You have any news of them.’ Hearing this question Sangmin face turned somber

‘What?’ Azief asked looking at the expression of Sangmin face. He felt something was wrong and nervousness and anxiety fills his heart

‘Sofia. What about her?’

Sangmin then replied.

‘Sofia was fine. Loki is still wreaking havoc. Sina is also helping the United Front Alliance in crafting medicine and creating transmutation circle to help protect the location of the island. Wang Jian is leading the White Tiger Battalion. Freya and Athena is guarding the Oracle. The Immortal Couple is also helping the frontline soldiers and coordinating with many factions to attack the Weronians’

Azief notices that Sangmin did not say the Seven Flowers of the Battlefield.

‘What happen to the Seven Flowers of the Battlefield?’ Azief ask his tone was low like he has realized something.

‘Haaa’ Sangmin sighed.

‘They died leaving only Merak.’

‘Somi.’ Azief said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Azief knows that the Seven Flowers has the position of the stars constellation as their class and they are named for each of the constellation.

Somi was the Merak constellation.

‘When all of this happens…..where was Loki? Wang Jian? My allies?’ As Azief said this the temperature inside the room chills.

There was anger in his voice.

While his relationship with the Sven Flowers could not be considered deep, Azief had a good impression of them.

They are little girls trying to survive in such a chaotic era.

After their misunderstanding was resolved Azief took their presence highly and even intended to slowly know them better.

More than that, the Seven Flowers was loyal to him, smart and could be made friends with.

‘They could not help at that time even if they wanted to.’

‘What do you mean they could not help?’

‘The Seven Flowers tries to do the impossible. One of the Eight Horn Weronian Supreme Expert was burning his essence to form the pillars. At that time they were vulnerable. Weak. They could be killed.

Azief immediately understand as anger rises up from inside him and erupted with a fury

‘They should have known they could not defeat the Eight Horn Weronian!!’ Azief said as he slammed his palm on the stone table beside him.

BOOM!

A thunder clap sounded in the room as the stone table disintegrated into dust.

The arrays formation embed deep inside the tile waver and some of it unravel and shows sign of dissolving.

By now Azief has lost any mood to drink and eat, to be merry and relaxed. Anger filled him as he is thinking about the Seven Flowers wasted youth.

Sangmin sighed.

‘They did not intend to win. They only wanted to delay the burning of that Eight Horn Weronian. Hmm’ Sangmin sighed again.

He was not at the scene but he heard what happen after.

The world lost many heroes that day. But he knew he has to tell the full story for the prince to calm himself down.

Sangmin could not clearly see what kind of expression the Prince is making underneath that black hood but it is clear from this murderous aura spreading inside this room that he is furious.

‘They were many low level levelers at the area. The pillars would surely incinerate all the people nearby so using a new formation called the Seven Stars Sealing the Universe they burn their life force burning them from the inside to buy time and save a lot of people. They managed to delay the Eight Horn Weronian Supreme Expert with their life as the price.’

For a moment Sangmin stop talking as Azief was taking a breath. There was silence inside the room. Sangmin was waiting for the Prince to sort his feelings.

Then Azief nodded.

‘Continue’ he said.

Sangmin continued

‘They only managed to save Somi because Loki managed to appears at the last second and using a teleportation portal transport her away from the site of explosions after the Eight Horn Weronian morphed into the gigantic pillars burning everything around 500km radius.’

Azief did not say anything. He was silent. But a terrifying pressure is building up inside the room.

It was chilling and suffocating.

Sangmin tries not to show it but his finger is slowly shivering. This cold was not the same coldness like Katarina

This cold seems to imbue fear and hopelessness in a person.

Like the cold kiss of Death. Once again Sangmin understand the gap between him and the person people hailed as the strongest.

Sangmin do not belittle himself as he knows he is also strong but this kind of a large gap, he almost felt hopeless.

Even Raymond pressure does not compare to Azief pressure. IF Raymond pressure were overbearing, Azief pressure was subtle but severe.

Raymond pressure could still be challenged by willpower and a strong determination and if one does not give up, one might even find themselves more motivated to reach to the top.

But the kind of pressure that is slowly enveloping this room, it fills the heart of people with hopelessness and despair.

It was like Sangmin is facing the vast Heaven, boundless and limitless.

In front of such gap, how could he resist this pressure from affecting him? With a slight change of emotion, this Imperious Aura have already ben unleashed.

Sangmin pity the person who would ever incur Azief wrath. But Sangmin was also happy. Having the Prince return would mean humanity just gain another formidable defender.

The silence continued.

Anuta who was beside Sangmin is sweating buckets. Will who was sitting on the corner of the room has his body crackling with blue arcs of lightning repelling the pressure.

Will look at Azief and shakes his head before moving and in a blink of an eye reached beside Azief as he put his hand on Azief shoulder.

‘Brother, calm down.’

Like being doused by a cold water, Azief expression slowly softened and the pressure slowly dissipated.

Anuta heaved a breath of relief. Sangmin tries to hide the fact that he is wiping the sweat on his face.

The reason why he was sweating because he notices the array formation he set outside this room is slowly unraveling the moment the pressure intensified.

This proves Sangmin conjecture.

That the Prince Seed was unlike any of the Seed Forming levelers like Raymond, Oreki or Hikigaya.

There is a sense of perfection and wholeness in his aura.

Sangmin could instinctively felt this because to understand array formation he has to understand energy lines and energy flow.

He look at the Prince and thought to himself.

What kind of adventure he had to temper himself to this kind of pure energy? Azief walked the Path of Perfection in this timeline and not only that.

He now has Seven Seeds which differentiate him with other normal Seed Forming levelers especially now that he has formed the branches of Creation.

He could now call upon the worldly essence to help him in battles.

This kind of qualitative difference made him almost invincible in Seed Forming realm.

If he could create Nine Seeds he will form the tree of Life giving him almost a limitless Life Force.

But Azief as he is chasing perfection, he would of course wanted to form the Tenth Seed. Even he doesn’t know what will happens if he is able to create the Ten Seed.

Azief look dazed for a moment still digesting the news before nodding slowly, accepting the news.

He then sighed saying

‘It’s a pity”

Will looking that his brother is now slowly calming himself release his hand from Azief shoulders and said.

‘I will check this village if there is anything we need to take note of.’ Azief nodded and with a streaking blue light Will disappeared from the room.

Sangmin sighed as he ordered

‘Anuta, leave us alone.’

Anuta like he was being released from a heavy burden nodded and quickly went out of the room.

Being in the room with the Prince felt like he was in a cage with a deadly predator.

This kind of instinctive fear that compel him to run away could only be explained by the fact that the Prince was of a higher being than him.

Anuta admired the Prince and at the same time he also respect Lee Sangmin.

To be able to be calm inside the room, even though Anuta knows Sangmin was only faking, that itself was commendable.

Especially when one considers the fact that Lee Sangmin is still in Energy Disperse Stage realm while the Prince is Seed Forming

Inside the room after he has calmed down himself he exclaimed

‘Those girls are Idiots!’ Azief said coldly.

Sangmin was shocked and wanted do protest that the Seven Flowers died honorably and heroically and shouldn’t have their death be demean like that but then after looking at Azief face he was silent.

Only now Sangmin realized in his anger the hood on Azief face was no longer covering his face. The Prince face is revealed to him and as such his expression

He said that kind of words but his face shows an expression of pain. Looking at the prince face, he was not only handsome, he has this kind of face that had that cold edge of charisma.

With way black hair and a flawless face like it was sculpted by the Gods, every women would feel ached seeing the expression of pain on the prince face.

Even Sangmin was affected slightly.

‘They are still young. Life is ahead of them. I understand your anger, Prince’ Sangmin sighed as he nodded.

Azief sighed as he looks towards the window.

‘Is it the time makes the people or is it the people that makes the time?’ Azief ask to no one. He knew that the Seven Flowers had make their choice.

Whether that choice is right or wrong it didn’t matter. All that matter is that they have already made it.

‘If it were you what would you have done?’ Sangmin asked.

‘If I were what?’

‘If it were you that have to make that choice? Sacrificing yourself so people you don’t know could live or let them die and survive?’

Azief did not say anything, thinking on the question. Would he be able to save people he didn’t know?

People who were themselves not necessarily good? Or would he like always, find a way to survive.

He always concern himself whether the people he killed is good or bad. He has this obsession to pursue justice.

Maybe it is because justice is denied to him.

Because the world has never been fair to him. He understand he is thinking like that because he saw himself as a victim.

But even after he grew strong he saw the world is unfair. He tries to be the balancing scale but he also found out he could not be the balancing scale of justice.

He could only exact justice on the things he could see or feel. But, in the end this question is simple?

Could he…risk his life for people he didn’t know?

It is one thing to die for the people you love but to die protecting people you never met, isn’t that kind of selfless altruism stupid?

Sangmin from his evaluations of the Prince character, he was one hundred percent sure that the Prince would say he would save himself which is why the reply from the Prince shocked him

‘I don’t know’ Azief reply

‘You don’t know?’

‘I truly don’t know’ Azief said.

‘How could you not know?’ Azief closed his eyes and said

‘To know who you are, look at the action you did when you are about to die. Someone said this to me before he sacrifices himself to help his enemy’s family escaped.’

Azief said as he remembers a certain man in one of the Earths he visited.

‘You don’t know who you really are until you are face to face with death. Because at that time, you could no longer disguises yourself. That person that’s sacrifices himself was the most selfish and cruelest person I’ve ever met. But at the end of his life, he sacrifices his body and soul to save his enemies family. I don’t know why he decides to do that but I am sure as the moment of his death was approaching, he realized something. Whatever he realized, I don’t know. But I know he realized it. Who he is. And the moment he realizes who he is, he stay true to what he know who he is. In the last moment of his life, he was a great man. A heroic man.’

And there was silence for a while before Azief continues.

‘So…I don’t know, Sangmin. If there comes a time where it is either me or the world…I don’t know what will I choose.’

Sangmin was shocked but he smiles.

‘You only know who you are when you are face to face with death? There is truth in that.’ Sangmin said nodding his head.

‘Anything else?’ Sangmin asked

‘Where is this?’ Azief asked as he could see blue streak of lightning running around the camp

‘South Korea.’

Azief nodded. He does realizes there were a lot of Korean people here with Chinese and Japanese.

But they all wear the same uniform regardless of race and their nationality before the Fall.

It is ironic that it takes the threat of extinction of humanity as whole for humanity to unite disregarding race, nationality, religion and cultures.

‘I need to meet the others. Could you help me with that?’ Azief asked as he got up from his seat.

He did ask for help but looking at the Prince behavior it was like he was an overlord ordering his vassal.

‘Of course. I would be delighted to. Should I inform your return to- Before Sangmin even finishes his word Azief cut him off.

‘My return must not be publicized. Not until I am ready to. If you…’Azief let his word trails off but Sangmin understand

He just nodded.

Then Azief come out of the room. His eyes were full of determination.

‘The Weronian Invasion has begun. I need to form my Eight Seed fast. I have too many enemies. I need to contact Budiman and confirm the safety of Sofia and Sina. Loki would be fine. I hope Budiman uses the Battlestar that he created to help the United Front Alliance.’

Before Azief manages to form another though a person appears behind his back.

“Will, who was it?’ Azief did not even look back to know who is it.

‘Sparse population of Weronians. There is a few base. Most of them is Five Horns and four horns Weronians. They could be easily dismantled. What’s the plan?’

Azief did not say anything for a while contemplating the information before he nodded as he made his decision.

‘We will raid them. I need to form my Eight Seed as fast as possible.

‘I understand. But you do know that this will not be enough to form your Eight Seeds, brother?’ Will said cautiously.

Azief nodded.

‘Yes, I need to fight Six Horned Weronians or Seven Horns Weronians to greatly gain EXP.’

‘Will you?’ Will asked.

‘I will. But the time is not ripe. If we able you could imagine the destruction. I need to make sure the battle favor me whether in terms of terrains or strength’ Will nodded.

He knew how powerful his brother is. And a six horned Weronians was the same as his brother realm which is the Seed Forming Realm.

He also know his brother put a lot of thought in this. Because this is no longer just a battle. This concerns the fate of the world.

If his brother dies because of a stupid mistake, the world would lose one of its greatest expert making it harder to repel this invasion.

‘Brother, didn’t you ever think to just enter Disk Formatio-‘ Azief suddenly turns to look back and glared at Will.

‘You know….my determination. Do not question it’ Azief said before turning back to the front as he walk around the village to their prepared house.

Azief was thinking a lot of things as the world advances to a new era of warfare. It was the War of the Gods

***