Chapter 322 - 236: Arch-nemesis? A Mere Buffoon

Chapter 322: Chapter 236: Arch-nemesis? A Mere Buffoon

While Isaac’s own developments were proceeding in full swing, a grim atmosphere settled over an inner hall in the Imperial Capital of the Terra Empire.

Only six people were in the inner hall: the Eldest Prince, seated at the head of the table; and standing on either side, Salorde Feilman, Head of the Royal Mage Order; Mensa Ballo, Great Arcanist and leader of the Observatory Tower; Elis Feischer, Head of the Royal Knight Order; Constantine Calvin, the Prime Minister; and Princess Philo.

Among the six people in the inner hall, everyone except Princess Philo could be considered a true wielder of power in the Terra Empire.

After all, most experts at Tier Four or higher were seeking opportunities to advance further and had little desire for worldly power. This just meant they didn’t hold official authority; when the Empire needed them, they would still mobilize without hesitation.

The recent battle for Divinity in the Endless Sea was a prime example.

The grave expressions on the faces of these five individuals made it clear that the Empire had run into trouble—big trouble.

Unlike everyone else, they knew the truth. Though rumors of the Empire’s crisis were swirling outside, most people—including those fanning the flames from the shadows—treated it as mere entertainment, not truly believing the Empire would fall.

After all, the Emperor had carved out his title as a Demigod through sheer slaughter, building it upon a mountain of corpses.

Among his victims were even two Deities: one an Outer God, the other a True God!

And one had to remember, how old was the Emperor?

Such a fearsome battle record already put him on par with many veteran Demigods.

That was why so few people, both inside and outside the Empire, believed this was a genuine crisis.

But the six people in this room were different. They knew a crucial piece of information that others did not: the Emperor’s fated death!

As long as the Emperor was there, the Empire was safe. They believed it could weather any storm, no matter how great the hardship. Such was the confidence the Emperor inspired in them.

But what if the Emperor were gone?

It was a thought so terrifying they didn’t even dare to entertain it.

But what was even more terrifying was that it was true.

And no one knew when it would happen.

The Emperor had only prophesied his own death; the exact time and cause remained a mystery.

The only clue they could glean was that, at the time of the Emperor’s death, Isaac would still be Tier Three and had not yet broken through to Tier Four. This was because another of the Emperor’s prophecies foretold the Terra Empire’s destruction at the hands of Isaac—as a High-level Mage—leading a vast Demon Legion!

This future wasn’t necessarily set in stone—even if it were real, it could be changed. But it did allow them to infer one thing: by that point, the Emperor must have been dead. Utterly and completely dead.

Otherwise, Isaac would never have made a move.

They had investigated Isaac—one of only two Mad Witches in the Empire—and understood him well. Though he had done many insane things, he was, at his core, a very steady, patient, and intelligent person.

And such a clever person would not act rashly.

This was the main reason for their intense anxiety.

Because Isaac was already a High-level Mage...

He had been one for some time now. And while the High-level Mage stage was different from the previous levels—the greater the genius, the longer they often spent at this tier—a Mad Witch couldn’t be judged by common sense...

Who knew if he would suddenly advance to Tier Four with frightening speed, just like he had before?

Therefore, the time left for the Empire was, in reality, running out.

And the Emperor’s end would most likely come during this very incident with the Master of Billions of Flesh’s summons!

A Demigod truly had no fear of a Deity; the Emperor himself had even killed two of them. But that was all predicated on one condition: it had to be a one-on-one fight!

And this was clearly not a one-on-one fight. So, it was highly likely that the Emperor would fall at the hands of the Master of Billions of Flesh...

What made matters worse was that even though they had been making contingency plans for a long time, they still felt helpless now that the moment had arrived.

The situation was simply too immense.

The only way for the Empire to survive this crisis was to produce another Demigod!

But...

Mensa and the others secretly glanced at the Eldest Prince at the head of the table and the Eldest Princess at the end, sighing inwardly. ’There’s just too little time...’

Both the Eldest Prince and the Eldest Princess possessed the potential to become Demigods.

Given time, they would inevitably become Demigods, perhaps even faster than the Emperor himself.

After all, one of them was a Mad Witch. Any Mad Witch possessed nearly infinite potential; as long as they survived, becoming a Demigod was a certainty. Of course, most Mad Witches died along the way, but their potential was undeniable.

The other...

Although her personal talent was somewhat lacking compared to the body’s original owner, she had plundered the `Boundless` Authority. With the resources of the Terra Royal Family at her disposal, her path to becoming a Demigod was virtually unobstructed.

But...

It came back to the same problem: time!

Fusing with the `Boundless` Authority alone had taken a great deal of time. Her Cultivation speed was indeed fast after the full integration, but she was still only a High-level Knight—a far cry from being a Demigod!

After all, for a Knight to earn the title of Demigod, they needed to reach at least Tier Six! (Note: Tier Three is Advanced, Tier Four is Miracle, Tier Five is Legendary).

That was a gap of two whole Major Tiers—a chasm not so easily crossed.