Chapter 91: Absolute Power
He looked around for a few seconds, scanning for any potential danger. But, soon, he relaxed lightly when he saw they were minimal and not threatening enough.
"Go on, tell me what happened."
He spoke, his voice borderline desperate.
"Do you remember meeting that purple-haired woman?"
The Infernal Dragon spoke from within him, earning a nod from Emperal.
"Yes, I do. I remember her calling me Weak."
Emperal said, despite those words, there wasn’t an ounce of self-depreciation or loathing towards himself.
After all, why should one care more about a person’s words, who they haven’t even known properly?
"Yes, that was the moment you fell into her illusion, Emperal."
The Infernal Dragon replied, causing Emperal to raise his brows. He suddenly remembered Infernal Dragon shouting when he had heard those footsteps.
It was along the lines of, "...No fucking way your luck is that terrible! Who the heck did you see after waking up!"
Yes, now he could finally comprehend the real intentions of Infernal Dragon when he recalled them.
Recalling every single event he had faced in his illusion, a bead of sweat dripped down his chin. No, it wasn’t just one. Dozens of them drenched him.
"This...that was way too real to be an illusion."
His breath stuck in his throat as a terrifying possibility emerged in his thoughts.
"I-Infernal Dragon, don’t tell me—!!"
"Yes, you have guessed it right."
The Infernal Dragon sighed from within his mind.
"She is hiding her true strength and was able to enter the EverHeart realm."
"Fuck me sideways!"
Emperal couldn’t help cursing. Just what was up with his luck these days? He really was starting to miss Soleine’s embrace.
"This is...far more serious than you realize, Emperal. It signifies humans had found a way to...shelve their cultivation from even EverHeart."
"Yeah, it couldn’t be any worse, right?"
Emperal gave up and just sat there quietly; there was no use worrying and panicking like a fool. It was time to think of a plan. And think—he did.
"Who do you think is the second strongest in this realm?"
Emperal suddenly asked, for a moment, the Infernal Dragon was quiet.
"It is that Royal Blooded Elf, his aura isn’t any less than that purple-haired woman’s suppressed strength. Be careful."
Hearing this, Emperal nodded. His expression was thoughtful.
"Hmm, I most certainly couldn’t approach him directly. I need to think of some other way."
And other ways, oh, there are several other ways. The easiest being, of course—
"Let’s find Dresh...as soon as possible."
Emperal muttered, slowly standing up. Although the headache had subsided, his skull was still throbbing lightly.
"You are actually incredibly lucky."
As he started walking, the Infernal Dragon suddenly spoke.
"Oh? Why do you think so? Is it because I broke through the illusion myself?"
Emperal curiously asked, his fingers flickering to a nearby fruit.
Drop.!
He caught the yellowish-orange fruit and munched on it.
"That, and you were out for almost a day. If you didn’t have that Consciousness Mirror continuously pumping out Soul Energy constantly...you wouldn’t have even lasted an hour. Your brain would have...simply exhausted itself and withered away."
Emperal froze—literally. Before another wave of anger hit his mind, he waved his hand. Summoning a long pipe.
He slowly rolled the tobacco sheets...a bit more than his usual take. Clutching it between his lips, he lit up the tip.
Puff~
He drew in deep and puffed out a huge one. Which was released into the nigh pure EverHeart realm
The Infernal Dragon didn’t interrupt; he let him have his time.
"By the way, even you didn’t see it coming? And just how did she put me in her illusion when she hadn’t even used any Verth?"
He asked, his expression peaceful as he puffed out another bout of smoke.
"She did, you were just unable to sense it. And as for why I didn’t warn you, it’s because I myself had figured out you were in an illusion...after you entered the illusion."
Emperal chuckled when he heard that. He couldn’t believe his ears. But, of course, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself.
Himself—for being weak.
Even after six long-ass scraping training sessions he went through...it was nothing in the face of absolute power.
"I can understand your frustration, Emperal, and to some extent, the blame even falls on me. But remember, these obstacles are the ones shaping your mind. Do not suppress them; they are the driving force that will push you toward the peak. And let me tell you something..."
The Infernal Dragon paused, letting Emperal comprehend its words.
"The path to the peak is riddled with endless obstacles. The peak powerhouses you are seeing back in Verandis weren’t just born with it. They clawed all the way to the peak. So, don’t let these affect your mind. Treat them the same way you have treated the people who looked down on you."
Emperal just stood there for a few seconds, despite the pure Soul Energy coursing through his mind. It still took a few seconds to truly understand the Infernal Dragon’s words. At the end, his lips curved ever so slightly.
"I always wonder what I would have become without your constant support."
Emperal exhaled lightly, all the frustration and anger in his body being thrown out in the form of smoke hovering in the air.
Soon, the intensity of his eyes returned.
"She wants to play games with me? Fine. Let’s see who ends up playing whom."
Emperal snorted and walked deeper in the forest; his words were enough for his will to light up.
...
Far away from Emperal’s current location.
Inside a huge cave.
Drip. Drip. Drip
Constant dripping sounds were heard from within the cave, coupled with occasional screaming and...silence.
Even though the cave was deep, a thick crimson flow could be seen running along the ground.
Yes, it was blood. A glowing one at that.
Step. Step. Step
From within the cave, a tall, slender man walked out calmly. There was not even a speck of blood on his perfect robes.
If Emperal could see his face, he would have definitely cursed him for being way too handsome.
The man in question, however, had a bored look on his face.
"This is the third tribe I have slaughtered. Just why are these pests so headstrong about that piece of information?"
