Thea nodded slightly. ’Master.’ Her voice was soft but firm.
Suddenly, countless distortions appeared around the group, revealing dozens of Alvs. She then turned toward the city walls, where thousands of people from different races appeared.
Alm and Bruno didn’t have time to be surprised by the Alvs being so close without them noticing earlier. They were immersed in the feeling that the cultivators around them gave off—they were all their allies.
"I’ve become the commander of this place and gathered all the allies in my empire, sir. I also tried to find the others, but my influence outside of here is very limited. Forgive me," Thea said calmly.
Alm and Bruno scanned the crowd and sighed. Including those they had already gathered, the total number now reached almost thirty thousand, very close to the ones they brought. Less than a thousand were missing. Maybe they had died and hadn’t reincarnated yet or were recently born. Or... they could be on the Divine Planet, turned into slaves.
"Did you recover your memories on your own?" Ruri asked, stepping toward Thea with a wide smile. "Or was it like Maelik, who always had his memories?"
"I should’ve recovered them earlier, but I couldn’t. Thanks to the Alv bloodline, when I reached a high level of understanding, something within my soul that had always been connected to the lineage runes awakened me." Thea answered with her head down. "I only awakened in this generation."
Corin thought of something disturbing and asked, "Do you have memories of all your lives here?"
"No," she said, shaking her head in confusion.
"Wait, you became the commander of the empire, learned about this cultivation, and developed so incredibly... all in one attempt?" Maelik asked, perplexed.
Even more confused, Thea looked at Kakarotto. The answer was obvious.
"Well done. You worked hard and grew a lot," Bruno praised calmly.
She instantly shook her head, denying it. "I already had a strong connection with this lineage. I didn’t do much."
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
"You had a connection? I’ve always been a Chromaraic, and yet it took me several lives to do a fraction of what you did," Corin commented with a slight smile before turning to the group. "How did you know it was them? You seem more impressive by the day..."
Thea’s face immediately turned red. Everyone was surprised, since with her previous robotic body, that was something they could never see. Watching her blush and show emotions was a completely new experience for them. Corin, on the other hand, shivered at a sudden, unsettling thought.
He was used to speaking openly with her about everything because she never had any reactions. Corin even liked to ask her some pretty personal questions about women, seeking advice for dealing with Calirer. Thea was always a great listener, answering him sincerely, and he was often impressed by how detailed and straightforward she was. Corin had always asked whatever he wanted, thinking she didn’t mind, but now, he could clearly see the strong emotions she was feeling.
She was calm and didn’t handle attention well; now it was obvious she was extremely shy. Corin quickly realized how horrifying it was—Thea must have felt all kinds of embarrassment whenever he asked her some things that shouldn’t have been asked.
For her to blush so easily, she must have suffered greatly with people not understanding how she felt; after all, her previous body couldn’t express emotions. On top of that, she wasn’t good at speaking. Only Alm and Bruno could sense her fluctuations, while the others couldn’t.
"It was pure luck, and the Master taught me many things. Just by looking into their eyes, if you try, you’ll notice something subtle that connects us," Thea said, lowering her gaze in embarrassment.
Everyone understood a bit more. Since they were close and had already seen others with this connection, they could easily tell now. But Thea had discovered them on her own, sensing an extremely subtle connection.
"That’s your own merit. You’re observant and can pick up the slightest fluctuations and changes. While everyone can do that too, this is your talent, and you’ve developed it," Bruno commented softly. "You’ve helped a lot, saving us time. Let’s go."
Thea trembled and ran ahead, leading the way to the city and then to the main building where she lived.
The people she gathered didn’t have their memories, but Thea trained them to the fullest. They were the elite of the empire, kept in secret for emergencies. If Alm and Bruno hadn’t invaded, Mihkriel would never have left that place alive.
Thea completely refined her manipulation of Alv techniques, and with her bloodline to study, she gained unmatched destructive and stealth abilities.
She gathered a reliable group of Alvs and trained them to be her support. Only those with the Alv bloodline could use her methods. However, the other allies she recruited were extremely well-trained. Thea was very observant; she memorized Rehvka’s methods and the others while they trained soldiers in the Yinblood sect.
’She’s grown so much. Her childishness is gone, but it’s impressive how much she’s built on her own,’ Bruno reflected. ’I just hope, in time, her shyness and modesty fade; it’s tiring to see her putting herself down.’
The stories of the Commander of this realm were truly admirable. She united all races, making them work and live in harmony, focusing on work and study. But Alm and Bruno were sure this was a mistake, as no one was cultivating, and eventually, they would be turned into slaves.
However, Thea deceived everyone and hid the true power of the empire. Mihkriel could defeat King Vulke and God Tuzwu if he wanted to. Meanwhile, Thea had the power to kill him. In truth, she and her empire were the strongest.
The Commander pretended to be a defenseless sheep, but she learned from Alm and Bruno to show her fangs at the right moment, reaping the greatest benefits.
"And what about the rumors of cultivators from other empires causing trouble?" Ruri asked, thoughtfully.
"I forged everything, spreading rumors and, sometimes, staging scenes to make it seem real. My plan was for King Vulke to come here seeking vitality herbs. We’d show our power to the world and demand compensation from the other empire." Thea answered calmly.
When they arrived at a grand hall, Alm and Bruno wasted no time. Thea was certain that all the empire’s allies were already there, so the two immediately began restoring their memories. In a month, it was complete.
They had finally gathered all their allies from the three empires. The new group was sent to join the others, now with free access to the three sacred places of the three empires. Within another month, they had all gone through training in the sacred places. Since they had lived through multiple reincarnations and had prior experience, the process was simpler for them.
During this period, Kakarotto briefly visited the Great Illusory Lake, from which Mihkriel had taken a final golden box. It was the sacred place of that empire.
There, the test was purely mental—a test of compassion and mercy, where illusions created situations for the cultivator to make decisions. If they were correct, the laws of that empire strengthened within the individual, making them easier to complete.
Alm and Bruno reached the center of the lake, ignoring the illusions. The divine seed shot to the depths of the waters, absorbing something from within. However, it returned to normal, and no visible change occurred.
The visit was brief, and then Alm and Bruno focused entirely on cultivation. They joined all their allies and concentrated on Anima cultivation. Alm and Bruno didn’t hesitate anymore; after all, they already possessed the three golden boxes.
They didn’t need several cores, but they followed the cultivation pattern, advancing steadily. True Champion, True Transcended, True Saint, True Emperor—they progressed from one level to the next, almost breaking through a realm every week, seeking perfection in every detail.
The process was slow because they weren’t alone. Nearly thirty thousand allies advanced with them. In a short time, they all reached the grand level of the True Emperor Realm.
***
Mihkriel was surrounded by total darkness, with no sign of light or the nine laws. The planets of the surrounding empires weren’t visible either.
’Why does everything seem easier for him?’ he thought, as the memory of that demonic whale saving him in the underworld hammered in his mind once again. ’He looks so strong, and he even has women and people worshiping him...’
He hated that feeling: the feeling of being inferior. Before becoming a missionary, he had lived in a universe where the Queen’s restrictions were different. Or maybe he had been different from the start. After witnessing the atrocities committed by the heroes, he had gathered people to fight back... sweet illusion.
They were all killed. He was publicly tortured for a long time. He also watched his home planet, his father, mother, siblings, and anyone close to him die painfully in front of his eyes. All while the hero watched, savoring the suffering with an amused smile.
But he got another chance, now as a missionary! He believed he would finally stop being weak... then he was captured and spent millennia sealed, being used as fertilizer in the underworld.
Now, he couldn’t avoid feeling awful. There was envy, of course; but above all, there was fear, rage, and self-loathing. The trauma he had endured couldn’t be easily understood, let alone forgotten; every day he was tormented by what he had lived through.
’I’m the only one who understands this place’s reincarnation cycle. I’m also the one who created the technique he uses! And even so, I still need him for everything? If this keeps up, I’ll be captured again...’
Despair took hold of him, quickly followed by a growing urge... and an arrogance pushed him forward. ’I’m not weak. I just need a chance. One last push, and I won’t be weaker than him!’
His gaze hardened. He knew that messing with the laws of Chaos was dangerous, especially here, where the Queen’s influence and the Divine Inquisitors controlled everything. But he also knew that without risk, there would be no reward.
The thought of failure didn’t even cross his mind. He couldn’t afford to fail anymore; it was win or win. He felt like the recent humiliation was engraved in his soul, and the only way to free himself was to surpass them.
’If I absorb enough of the Chaos laws... If I advance in this power, I’ll finally be in control.’ His heart raced with the idea. Every fiber of his being screamed for power, for overcoming that feeling of being inferior, and most of all, for getting rid of the overwhelming fear he felt.
Without saying a word, he felt the call of Chaos, an uncontrollable, yet irresistible force. ’It’s now or never.’ He began absorbing the laws around him, letting them enter his seed of Chaos with fury.
With every second, the power grew, and his body vibrated with the raw energy he consumed.
But, at some point... something started to distort.
’No... I’m in control!’ he tried to convince himself, but the seed was reacting strangely, slowly slipping out of his influence.
He refused to admit the mistake he had made, but the seed of Chaos, which he thought he controlled, was now completely out of control.
Until...
Silently, countless figures on an isolated planet above all the others felt a disturbance in the Chaos laws.
Everything below was bathed in the nine laws, and the laws of Chaos were like a calm sea around a great island. Those fluctuations were like ripples, stirring waves in what was once a serene lake.
It didn’t take long for a dozen of these figures to gather with serious expressions. They then moved toward the epicenter of it all.
***
Alm and Bruno had just reached the highest peak of the True Emperor Realm. With just a thought, they could unite the nine cores and become Divine Inquisitors.
All their allies were in the same situation. But Alm and Bruno were holding off a bit, meditating and evaluating cultivation as a whole. Something felt wrong, but neither could pinpoint what it was.
They weren’t the only ones who felt it. Ruri, Thea, and Maelik also said they had the same impression. It wasn’t something related to the contents of the golden boxes that they had yet to absorb; it was more like this cultivation was just a step toward a distant destiny. And even after reaching the peak of it, they wouldn’t advance.
It was at that moment that a great disturbance was felt, and Alm and Bruno opened their eyes in surprise.
The air around them became solid, and an indescribable cold ran down their spines. It was the presence of death looming over their heads. Their sharp instincts roared in desperation, warning them that certain death was quickly approaching.
"MASTER!" Ruri rushed into the room in panic.
"Mihkriel! Several Divine Inquisitors captured him! Everyone on the planet could see it clearly: he’s been sealed and injured, and they’re taking him up!"