Lord Shadow

SOMEWHERE IN TUNISIA

The snow gently falls down on that person face. A black raven flies overhead overseeing that person.

It squawked before flying away to the white sky. That person is a young man. As the snow keep falling on top of his face…it seems to awaken the man.

The man slowly opening his eyes struggling as he do so.

The man is young in appearance and is tall for a person of his age.

A Caucasian man with beautiful brown eyes and hazel hair that reached his shoulders. He shakes his head like he was trying to shake off the dizziness and drowsiness.

As he got up something sounded from his left hip like a sound of something clanging. He look at his left hip and spotted a yellow wine gourd swaying left and right.

It was then that he remembered who he was. His name is Louise and he is known as the Wine Beggar among his peers.

But the last time he remember he was in France following the Emperor Jean army conquering Europe.

As he look left and right he knows he is not in France. And not the world he knew. He could feel it almost instinctively.

As he check himself he was shocked to find himself at the Seed Formation level.

He remembered when he follow the campaign he was still at the Orb Condensing level.

If this is not shocking enough, he didn’t remember what happen to him even though he could feel there was something important that he should remember.

What happen to him?

It was like a part of his life was being wiped out from his memory. As the cold wind blows over his body, he was startled and then he sighed

‘I need to get out from this place first.’ As he looked in front of him all that he could is vast expanse of white.

But he knows even in these expanse of white, monster would roams and darkness thrive

Whatever has happened to him, he first need to get out from this place first and then and only then will he try to make sense of what happened to him.

Louise then walk forward, leaving a trail of footsteps as he walked forward, using his Divine Sense to help him find any life.

After Louise has left the area from his initial position, like the space is being exposed, one woman walk out from empty space as she look at the trail.

On her hand is a blanket. It is the blanket of invisibility that also help in masking one from others Divine Sense

The woman is Trisha.

She only nodded looking at the completion of her task.

Before the war at the Islands of Peace ended, Loki has ordered her to brought Louise to a location far away from the current chaos and make sure he is alive and well before leaving him to find his own path.

Trisha as she was the only person that accompanied Loki the longest among the Three Sisters of Shadows has been accustomed to Loki inexplicable orders and behaviors.

There is even a nagging suspicion in Trisha heart of what Loki really is.

But she never urged Loki to answer her and he never explained.

She sighed, looked at the direction where that black raven flies off and shakes her head. She brought out something from her sleeve. It was an orb that shows a scenery of a plain.

And she throws it to the empty space in front of him and a rip in space appeared.

She turns into a black smoke and disappeared into that rip in space..

***

EAST SIBERIAN SEA

BOOOM!

The sound barrier around the sea was broken by something very fast and very powerful. A person wearing a black attire with a black cape behind him seems to hover above an island.

Azief stopped on a small island on East Siberian Sea and throws Loki onto the sandy beach. Loki only smiles bitterly.

Azief look down at Loki, his eyes scanning him intently.

‘Why are you looking at me that intently?’ Loki asked. Azief scoffed and then said

‘Where is your true body?’ Azief knows one of the perks of Loki class is that he could transform other things into him.

Even though this Loki look identical to Loki Azief could sense that this Loki seems to not possess that soul power that Loki possess.

If he did, he would not be trapped by that suppression Azief put on him that long. Loki did not seem shocked as he smirk

‘You notice that?’ Azief did not say anything and only said

‘Explain’ Azief is known to be curt in speech when he is serious

‘I have already explained’ Loki said as he got up and patted down the sand from his robe. Azief clench his fist as he landed down on the beach

The sand around his feet floated slightly and space around him distorted slightly.

‘You call that an explanation?’ Azief almost roared as he said this words.

‘What more do you want me to say? You know how unstable the timeline is. I could not say more than that.’ Loki answer while sighing like he was the most pitiful man in the world

‘Then what if Hirate once again did things that is not aligned with my thoughts and once again threaten my friends! Should I always spare him?’ Loki smiles a bit, and while he did not admit it he was a little bit touched

‘I know you are worried about me…but as you can see I could handle myself….brother.’ Azief shake his head and then sighed.

Then calming himself down he asked

‘The Coffin? Is it your work?’

‘Not my work.’ Loki immediately replied

‘The Demonic Army?’

‘My work.’ Loki reply as Azief shakes his head.

‘Who’s the one that summon the coffin?’

‘Cannot tell’ Loki reply. This time Azief almost snapped.

‘You….’

Loki shakes his head and said

‘I wish I could tell you. I really do. But many things have changed and telling you who, what where, and when might put everything back to its order. And that is not what I want to see. A self-fulfilled future might happen if I tell you too many things. Sometimes the more you try to change thing the more that future you try to avoid become solid.’

‘Which is why I need to be the one that do it’ he mused in his mind.

‘Which is why I need your trust. You know you eventual destiny. Trust me, brother. Trust that I did this for you. No matter how it seems that it disadvantages you, or it looks like I’m putting you at harm’s way, trust that I am doing it for you.’

‘Trust?’ And Azief scoffed.

‘You are always talking about trust but you never told me anything. You have given me nothing…nothing to make me believe that you are doing this to benefit me.’

Loki then sighed as he come closer to Azief and then said

‘Then why didn’t you just kill me the moment you find out what I am? You still could’ Azief did not answer.

Closing his eyes and deciding to calm himself down he then nodded before opening his eyes and said

‘I will not accommodate you anymore. Because of your scheme Sofia and Wang Jian was almost harmed.’

‘They were never in any real danger’ Loki said

‘Maybe. But I would never take that chance. You might be able to do it, maybe because you know the future and whatnot but I don’t know the future. All I can do is to decide based on the present and draw conclusion from the past. That is all I had to say Loki. That is the difference between me and you.’

Azief was saying, that even though Loki prophecy of doom and gloom in his future, Azief would always live in the present and would not bow down to such prophecy of the future.

Loki almost snickered.

Would Azief be this confident when he got the eye of the oracle? Will he still be able to be true to himself and only focus on the present?

Isn’t it because he knows the future that he distances himself from Sofia?

Azief on the other hand did not know what Loki is thinking so…..they only look at each other, knowing this difference in opinion could not be settled merely by words.

There was silence between them two. Loki looks at Azief and he saw the complicated emotions inside Azief eyes.

Then Azief said

‘I will be setting up a place for us in the Forbidden Continent. Will you come?’ Loki then answer

‘Maybe.’ Azief nodded. There is nothing else to be said. Both understand what each other means.

Loki will still scheme and Azief will do whatever it is in his power to protect himself and those that is dear to him.

They are back to the beginning.

And then Azief knowing there is no word left unsaid launched himself up into the air and fly through the clouds heading towards Australia.

Loki was on the island and he sighed. He put his thumb on his forehead and then he melted off, turning into dust.

On an island cluster near Indonesia, Loki is jolted for a second like he was being pricked by a needle on his forehead as he come out of the cave after interrogating Morgana.

As he walked outside, a woman wearing a white robe is seen leaning on the entrance of the cave where Loki just exited.

‘Giselle’ Loki said

‘Is it done?’ She ask referring to both Morgana interrogation and his talk with the Death Monarch.

She was present when Loki created another body to monitor the situation at the Island Of Peace.

For some reason Loki felt that even if Azief knew Hirate was not responsible he would at least harm Hirate to force him out.

Loki is not that naïve not to think his involvement in the war goes unnoticed by Azief. The moment he uses the Melody of Ten Thousand Demons he knew he would be noticed by Azief.

The other body was a precaution. And he truly could not let any harm falls into Hirate. After all without Hirate who could send Loki to the past?

In a way, if his grand plan did not work, Hirate needs to be alive. And in the future, Hirate is not such an ass.

He did not deserve to be killed this early in the game. (After this, it is the same conversation in ch177 since it happens at the same time.)

Loki nodded at Giselle. Giselle then look toward the cave and asked.

‘You won’t kill her?’

‘The world is a more interesting place with her in it. And….she has to return to the Origin as not to disrupt the meeting between the father and daughter.’

‘Hmm?’ Giselle was puzzled.

‘She didn’t tell you?’ Loki ask.

‘Tell me what?’

‘Morgana is the stepdaughter of the God of Death’ Hearing this Giselle was stunned and then she has a smile on her face

‘This explains so much’ she said though she did not make it clear to Loki. Then Giselle ask.

‘Arno is safe I presume.’ Loki nodded

‘He is just knocked unconscious by the Sisters of Shadows.’ Giselle look at the sea and then asked

‘So….my job is done. Which means you will erase my soul from her right now?’

Loki sighed

‘You are after all…is just a ghost of a broken world. Maybe….if I succeed, I would not see so many ghost of my comrades.’

Giselle smirk.

‘My young self is immature. Brash. And in some matter, impetuous. But…she is pure. I hope you could guide her and keep her safe until that Final Battle. And even if you fail….I hope she would not regret her last moment….like me.’

Loki then shakes his head.

‘Arno….love you. And he regretted what he did to you. Duty and honour. Or Love? For a person like Arno…it is hard for him to choose at the time.

‘Can I trust that word of yours, trickster?’

Loki smiles.

‘I lie and I deceive. But not about this. I just wanted to tell you to end your longing. It is enough. Let…..us believe in a new future. I wanted to believe in the young Giselle.’

Giselle nodded and shakes her head

‘Since when I like to talk too much.’ She move towards Loki and lean her forehead.

‘Erase it’ she orders. The waves keep lapping and the wind blows by. Loki push Giselle forehead with his finger and said

‘After sunset’ he said as he look towards the ocean waves. And Giselle laughed. She look toward the sea and smile contently.

***

After sunset Loki removes Giselle memories and put the young Giselle on the plains of Mongolia.

She would remember nothing of the matters between Morgana and him. Loki look at her before smiling.

‘I hope you would get all of your heart desire, Giselle. You deserve it after all that you have endured’ he said as he smoothly caress her hair before putting her down and setting up a protection barrier around her

And the tattoos on her body has also been removed since the future Giselle soul has been used. Finished on this matter, he melted like before leaving nothing.

Loki true body is now at the bottom of the Mount Everest.

It is evening around the Mount Everest. Wang Jian is behind him, dragging behind him a corpse of a dragon that was as large as four story building.

The sight of such a small man compared to the dragon hauling such a large corpse would be impossible before the Fall.

But Wang Jian could easily haul such creatures because of his strength.

Loki only smiles looking at the dragon corpse and excitement.

When he captured Morgana, he racked his brain how to replicate the reunion between Azief and Morgana later in the future to be reunited again as daughter and father.

Of course has other plans but then an opportunity was revealed on him when he saw the Wawel Dragon in Poland during Azief rampage.

With Loki prowess he is not yet qualified to fight against true dragon but thankfully the Wawel Dragon was awaken.

While it is a dragon he is not a true dragon since he was formed from human thoughts and emotion and could be subdued with soul force.

And if there is anyone on earth that possess the most powerful soul force it is Loki.

When he time travelled o the past while his cultivation was ripped part but his soul power remains.

He immediately seeks and chases the Wawel Dragon when Azief went away from Poland to train in the Forbidden Continent.

He chased and finally subdues the dragon before killing him. Loki remembers something that Morgana said to him.

She falls into a cavern and met the White Dragon of the Ice Mountain. But there is no longer White Dragon of the Ice Mountain since the Fake World has disappeared.

So, Loki decided to substitute that dragon with the Wawel Dragon. Behind him Wang Jian finally arrived.

‘Is it tough?’ Loki asked. Wang Jian shakes his head

‘Good’ Loki replied.

Then Loki nodded as he throws three stones that automatically aligned themselves into a triangle.

Loki step into the triangle and Wang Jian followed as both of them was transported into the top of the Everest.

As Loki and Wang Jian stepped out from that portable teleportation formation, they were greeted with a large hole.

The stones that Loki used has cracked. Both in the bottom of the mountain and the top of mountain.

‘Is this it?’ Wang Jian asked.

‘Yeah’ Wang Jian then pull the dragon corpse and hurl it into the hole and with a large shaking the dragon corpse was placed into the hole.

Loki then brought out his interdimensional pouch and brought out the unconscious Morgana.

He then once again remembered what Morgana said to him

‘I was swallowed by it. By a stroke of luck my magic protect me until I arrived at his stomach. As his stomach was full of ice energy it forces my body to hibernate. And so I hibernate for hundreds of years until one day a person defeated the White Dragon and found me in his stomach.’

He remembers the story of how Morgana met Azief in the future. Loki then slowly inject magic into Morgana body.

This is not his magic but Morgana magic.

Before he wiped out Morgana memories she takes a few sips of Morgana blood to replicate her magic perfectly.

He chanted the words and the natural laws around him distorted as he put his hand on Morgana head and the magic enveloped her body.

Then Loki jump down the large hole with Morgana body behind him.

He arrived at the large mouth of the Dragon and kick it with his feet forcing it open. Then, looking at Morgana face he shakes his head.

‘I guess we will meet again in the future, Morgana. Hmm. I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse. I said this before and I will say it again. I hate tragic love story.’

Saying that, he gently kissed Morgana forehead showing the best side of him, when no one is looking.

Then with a sigh he throws Morgana into the dragon mouth and with his hand he thrust out his palm creating an air blast that forced Morgana body to slide into the dragon stomach.

Thankfully the Wawel Dragon lining of the stomach is full of ice energy.

Loki sighed. He replicated the events of Morgana hibernation with almost a hundred percent accuracy.

Now he only need to depend on fate and destiny between Azief and Morgana. Wang Jian looked at this and then said.

‘You are sure this is what the Lord ordered us to do?’ Loki smiles and nodded

‘Of course.’

‘Huuu’ Wang Jian released his breath as he lied on the white snow and enjoying the cold breeze on top of the Everest.

If this was before the Fall, lying down like that in such a cold is unimaginable but humans are now stronger than before.

To Loki and Wang Jian both of them felt this kind of cold is like the breezy wind of spring.

Loki jump out from the hole and then also lied down beside Wang Jian, looking at the sky above.

Then he ruffle around his leather pouch and give Wang Jian a leather flask.

‘Warm water?’ Loki ask.

Wang Jian nodded as he gulp the water. A few second slater, Wang Jian eyelids becomes heavy and then he looked at Loki in shock

‘Lord Loki what have you put in the water?’ Wang Jian felt something was wrong as he tries to stand up.

He felt his legs are very weak and unable to support his weight,.

Loki then said, his face was smiling and there is a trace of deviousness. It is unconsciously formed.

Loki has always been painted as the villains in his many exploits.

Other than the Scandinavian country, the rest of the world had a bad opinion of him. If he had more time maybe he could change his image in the minds of humanity.

And this is the side effect of playing villain for too long.

So, even though is smile is full of deviousness he did not mean harm towards Wang Jian. Loki put his finger over his mouth and said

‘Sssh. Don’t panic. It is not poison. I just need you to forget this moment ever happened. The moment you wake up you would found yourself surrounded by your soldiers and friends. Don’t fret’ Loki said calmly as Wang Jian could no longer be able to restrain that feeling and finally went unconscious.

Loki sighed as the wind keep blowing over him.

He then got up and waves his sleeve as the hole was covered over by snow with a swish of his sleeve.

By the time the destined day comes for Azief and Morgana to meet, this hole would be hard to find.

But Loki is confident that somehow, Azief would find this hole and meet Morgana. Destiny and fate us no joke.

Even when Loki tries to disrupt destiny and fate plans, it’s hard.

Now that he decided to help destiny and fate, he is sure, that destiny and fate would somehow make sure Azief would appear here and met Morgana.

Then he grab Wang Jian and sling him over his back and turns into a green smoke that swiftly climbing down the mountain.

***

SOMEWHERE IN MOZAMBIQUE

A fat rotund man is running as fast as he could as someone is chasing over him in the back with a smiling expression and eyes fills with killing intent.

Usually he sport a jovial expression and his hair is usually neatly tied.

And there was that trademark assortment of strange hat that he would paraded every day in his residence.

His wig is already left behind, showing the man bald head, his necklace has sign of searing burns and his left wrist is gone, blood gushing out even as he run.

As he runs his body jiggle and sweat falls down together mixed with his blood. All over his body there is some kind of wounds and on some part there is holes as blood also dripping down from all those wounds.

He was one of the Council member that supported Pandikar in the coup. When the Death Monarch seals the Island, while others are trapped he did not.

Why?

Because he is the leader of the Merchant Association Patrician Enzo. And he possess many invention to circumvent many magical restriction and seals.

If Azief know about this he would surely be shocked. Not only this person managed to escape he did so without the knowledge of the Death Monarch.

This is what is known the power of items and technology. Chasing him is a tall slender man wearing white coat.

Below his feet is something like an air rocket attached beneath his red shoes.

It enables him to fly without using his energy. And it is charged by absorbing the worldly energy around it.

But the man in white coat had to control the input and output carefully. If not the shoes would explode or malfunctioned.

The man wearing the white coat is the Inventor. There is a grudge between these two, a grudge that must end by blood.

During the Weronian War, the Invertor was betrayed by Mimic and Enzo. They killed his friend, his family, his lover and his daughter.

How could he endure? He still remembers the land of corpses.

He was at his last breath, piled up among the corpses, with fire behind him and river of blood in front of him.

Wounds was all over his body and blood streaming from his apertures like a fast river heading downstream.

He remember how unwilling he was, how desperate he is in that last moment to not die

But then Loki came. He threatened him and force him to make a deal with him. To help him invent something for the price of the vengeance he desired.

Today, Loki fulfilled his promise.

Loki knew that the Merchant Association leader would uses his invention to break through Azief seal. How he knew the Inventor did not know.

What matter is Loki fulfil his promise.

For years, Enzo surrounded himself with many high level experts and the Inventor never had the chance to even approach him.

Loki did offer to kill him but the Inventor always decline. He needs to be the one that deal the blow.

After all Enzo did to him, it would be wrong for him to not repay in kind.

He would torture this son of a bitch before ending his life. As he slashes Enzo from behind, the image of his daughter, his wife, his friend and comrades all flashes inside his mind.

For every one that Enzo killed, he would inflict one slashes. He slashes with a stone dagger powered by the runic design from the moving silver lines of his white coat.

The chase lasted for hours until Enzo body was full of slashes and he no longer could run. Blood is dripping from him all over.

He was sitting down, leaning on a large tree, his feet is full of slashes and his face is scarred, his right eyes were gouged out and his left ear has been cut

At this point Enzo could no longer even move. The Inventor arrived in front of him and smiles with a devilish smile and ask

‘You never thought this would happen to you right?’ And the Inventor laughed. Enzo could no longer talk as he was panting in exhaustion. He could only glare with his left eye

Enzo laugh even harder.

‘There is retribution, Enzo. You killed my family and condemn my comrade and conspire to kill me in Italy, and you never thought this day would come to you?’

Death by a thousand cut. There is this kind of torture method in Ancient China that punished someone with death of a thousand cut.

That is what the Inventor did to Enzo. None of the invention that Enzo used to escape or attacked the Inventor worked.

Why?

Because he uses it against the Inventor. Since he could create invention he could also deconstruct it easily especially because that is his class.

The Inventor come closer and then he stab his stone dagger into Enzo left eye and then pulled out the dagger with the eyeball stuck on it.

Enzo tries to scream but his vocal cord could only produce shrieking sound.

‘This would be fun’ the Inventor said as he began inflicting unspeakable tortures toward Enzo. High upon that tree, is a black raven, watching everything.

Then when the screams no longer could be heard, that raven flies towards the clouds and disappeared.

***