“I swear, sometimes I feel my life is becoming like a series of those stupid exposition scenes in movies… The kind they use to explain some things while the young hero is off screen, traveling or doing some adult stuff…” Margret complained as she threw the stack of papers in her hand on the table, making the little maid behind her hurry to rearrange them.
“You are the one who went out of your way and got pregnant!” Elise, who just entered the study and took her usual seat around the table, said. “What were you looking at?” she asked as she glanced at the table.
“The Reckoning movie’s script is finally done and passed review… Hiding all those things about players in it was not easy, but by only indicating that the powers showed up after the meteor strike, the players' council should not mind it… Now all that is left is to find suitable actors. Mira should definitely be there, and Aria is considering letting Melody and the others join in minor roles, then doing the final credits song!”
“That would be good… We should also publish a few accompanying novels… Though I am worried it might flop!” Elise joked.
“Don’t worry, I am using a writer-director duo who are destined to be super famous… I made it appear that I first hired them for a Crimson Pearl movie on Abe’s advice, then after that project fell through, they were transferred to this one! ” Margret sighed. That stupid Celesita and her mysterious employer had forced them to take unnecessary precautions!
“Oh…” Elise nodded.
“By the way, where is Lin?” Margret asked. It was rare for that girl to miss their strategy meetings.
“She still can’t move, so she went straight to her room… Victor’s soul damage was a bit dangerous, so she had to be the one to 'Subdue' him!” Elise blushed and said as she looked down. Her ears were bright red, thinking about what Victor did last night.
“Oh….” Margret nodded. “Blacky, quickly go make a cup of my herbal tea for her! Make sure she drinks it full!” she ordered her maid, making the little one bow then quickly walk out.
“Historically speaking, Harems usually poisoned each other to stop them from getting pregnant… “ Elise, couldn’t help but say as she watched the little maid go.
“That’s because most of those women are retarded, probably because of iodine deficiency while growing up…” Margret said, insulting 25% of the world’s population while shaking her head. “Like Victor’s step-mothers who urged their sons against him, they don’t see the big picture! … The one who really controls things from behind the scenes isn’t necessarily the one with the most apparent power! And having a good relationship with other concubines is the better method to control their husbands!“ she explained. Her plans for her little baby were far grander than any of those. “Anyways, now that we got the Von Rosen ancestral treasures, Lin needs to heal up, probably then go face her mother and scam her, so I want her to be in her best shape for that!” She quickly changed the subject.
“No need to hurry, most of the surviving Von Rosen heirs are probably at the tournament at the moment, trying to find new backers. Victor should be able to trim those off, and Amelia would have no one to stop her when she makes a move!” Elise sighed.
“Yeah... Will leave them to Victor and Lily... By the way, how was the wedding? I heard it turned into a thriller!” Margret asked.
“You already read Alpha’s report… Nothing more to say… If Victor was not there, both my Grandfather and Gary would have been literally fucked,” Elise said, using words that her family never taught her. Her vocabulary had been expanding lately, staying with Margret. “My cousin has no idea how lucky he is to have a friend like Husband! I bet he is still wary around him, not sure why Victor treats him like they were brothers, as they barely know each other!”
“Well, we can’t explain that they were friends in another timeline, can we?” Margret sighed.
“Good point…” Elise sighed. “I heard Tom’s family came knocking…” She also changed the subject, feeling uncomfortable talking about her family.
“Yeah, just like you expected, and I did as you said, showing them that photo!” Margret smirked.
“That should make them cool down for a bit until Tom finishes dealing with Nova and runs back home by the time Victor reaches the heavenly sect!” Elise sighed for the second time.
“Speaking of sects, now since you are back, I have a task for you…” Margret suddenly said, opening a drawer, taking a folder, and handing it to Elise.
“This is?”
“One of Victor’s stupid new Ideas… I was planning to take my time with it, but now that he started using it left and right, we'd better hurry up…” she sighed.
“The Ancient Sect?” Elise raised one eyebrow as she read the first page.
“Yeah… The one he scammed Jim and Charlotte into joining. And now, he also coerced his cousin Polina to join too…” Margret sighed. “I swear Victor keeps changing his plans all the time, pulling mysterious characters and organizations up from his ass… We are barely managing to keep up here! Someday this would definitely bite him in the ass, so it is our job to make sure that never happens!!”
“Yeah… What happened with Polina?” Elise asked as she was traveling and didn’t get to see any recent reports.
“Simply put, that lass turned out to be a dark scion, so Victor ditched his old plan and scammed her into signing a contract, and just made her a player. Now, that stupid girl was ordered to wait at that school until Jim arrives and takes her away… ”
“A scion to deal with a dark scion…” Elise nodded. “ What class did she get?” Elise asked.
“A Minor Manipulator!” Margret said with some jealousy in her voice. She wanted such a class too, but apparently she was not manipulative enough… Not really, it was all due to Victor using his power to awaken his cousin, which allowed him to pick the most suitable Class in his opinion from the available list. “Its skills have the power to influence other people, but they have very harsh requirements, so until she grows up, it will be useless!”
“Let’s keep an eye on her,” Elise said.
“That’s the plan for now,” Margret sighed. “So as I was saying, you will be the one in charge of the sect, its primary setup at least, while I take care of the Tomification plan! By the time the entire setup is finished, I should have already given birth!"
“Noted!” Elise sighed.
Knock knock… Suddenly, the door was knocked twice.
“Enter!” Margret said, making a maid push the door open and enter. This one was not Blackie, but a pink-haired one with a cheerful personality.
“Rosy, what’s wrong?” Margret asked. The Spring Maids were the newest addition, responsible for handling player-related stuff.
“This package just arrived with some strange seals!” Rose Spring, the maid answered. “Mistress Hilda told me you were waiting for it!” she added, handing Margaret a strange black metal box that had all kinds of seals on it, including a strange crow head mark. The sender's name was Yulian Crow.
“Oh… leave it here, you can leave!” Margret ordered the maid, then as soon as the door was closed, she tore open one of the seals to reveal a hidden number pad.
“This is?” Elise asked.
“You will see…” Margret said as she took out her phone and read a message, then began entering the PIN.
“9…5…1…5…1…5… 44…1… OK!” she said.
CLICK!
With a click, the box was unlocked, allowing Margret to open it to reveal a stone carving of a heart.
“This is… OBRAS’S HEART OF STONE?” Elise asked as she used her inspection skill on it.
OBRAS HEART OF STONE
THE PETRIFIED HEART OF A ONCE FAMOUS PLAYBOY
“Yes, those von Krone are really efficient, sending this off as soon as Victor gave Yulian that feather!” Margret nodded. “Thankfully, they don’t know this thing’s real use… We need to send it to Victor Victor to unseal its real power, but since Lin is not available at the moment, we can take the opportunity to perform some tests!“ she added as she stood up. “Let’s go see Zolan, I bet she would like to inspect that thing as soon as possible! She needs to design its interface after all."
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***
KNOCK KNOCK!
“Master… It is morning,” a soft female voice reported from behind the door after a little knock, making Theodore, who was fast asleep, slowly rise up and begin to scratch.
“Prepare the bath…” he ordered, then looked to the side, toward the one sharing the bed with him. “Jewel, sorry I woke you up… I have something to attend to today… You can continue to rest! “ he said as he brushed her hair with his fingers.
“Master Theodore….” the woman in the bed sighed as she looked at him with upturned eyes, wanting to sit up, but his hands gently pushed her down. “I understand…” she sighed. She really couldn’t move a muscle after the action last night… She finally remembered why she never felt satisfied with all of those men she dated. Compared to Theodore, they were just monkeys who had no idea how to properly please a woman!
Still, Jewel couldn’t believe what happened yesterday. She was returning from the market when a few thugs cornered her. She was at her wits' end when none other than Master Theodore, who was passing by to check on Roy, happened to meet her.
He quickly descended from the car and fought those thugs, beating them left and right before inviting her for a meal. Then one thing led to another, and she found herself in his bedroom…
She felt ashamed of herself. How could she do this? She was already a grown woman who had 5 children… Thankfully, Master Theodore didn’t seem to blame her for what happened in the past; on the contrary, he gave her one of the most satisfying nights of her life….
Blushing as she remembered her wild behavior last night, she hid into the shredded bed sheets that offered barely any cover.
Watching her, Theodore smirked secretly as he walked out of bed. Damn, George, that old wingman of his, arranging things perfectly! It was just like they used to do it back in the day!
“As I said, I have an important trip to make. Roy would be coming with me. I will be away for a week or so, will contact you when I am back… feel free to spend your day here in the mansion,” he said. “And I would really appreciate it if you were to consider my offer last night and move here permanently with your children…” he said, not giving her a chance to refuse as he walked into the bathroom.
There, Adele, his maid, was waiting for him to help with his morning shower as usual.
The bathroom was naturally soundproofed, so what happened inside stayed inside!
Finishing with his shower, Theodore quickly left the maid to clean the aftermath as he got dressed, then headed down toward the dining room. There, a few of his family members were waiting for him. Elena, Luna, Max, Lucas, and John. He recently had his meals with only those of his other children who also lived in the mansion; he felt that his presence put too much pressure on them, so he didn’t bother with them.
“Husband!” Both Luna and Elena greeted him politely as soon as he entered, and so did his children.
“You may sit!” he said as George, after a slight nod, walked behind him and began preparing his dish. “Max, did you prepare your bags?” he asked directly. Max was accompanying him and the rest of his brothers, who qualified to go to the tournament.
“Yes, father!” Max said politely.
“Good,” Theodore said. “Luke, what about you…?” he turned to ask his other kid.
“Esteemed father… Do I really have to join that sect?” Luke clenched his fist and asked. He was not going to the tournament with them, but was leaving to join a sect in another country.
“It is the family’s arrangement… And you should have thought about your future before you went and…. Ehm…” he cleared his throat, remembering that Elena and Luna were sitting with them, and he couldn’t mention stuff about players. “Anyway, going to join different sects is one of the most prestigious tasks an heir can have. And the Joyful Union Sect might be a minor place, but their way of ‘Martial Arts’ is really similar to the one you ‘Practice,’ so it should be fine…”
“....” Luke couldn’t argue with that, but he heard about those guys… He didn’t want to go there. Sure, that sect had strange arts that were practiced by using the Union between men and women, and this was something he liked, but once he was sent there, he would be just another minor disciple who wouldn’t get to choose his partner! He might get assigned to serve some other guy as far as he knew!
Theodore ignored him. “Now, John, you will stay here with the family… Your assignment would be issued after the tournament! He turned to his other son.
“I understand, esteemed father!” John sighed.
“If you want, you can go back to the Family island. Your mother will be glad to see you!” Theodore said. John was the only son of his third wife after all.
“Thank you, esteemed father!” John nodded. After spending time here and getting to meet all of his half-brothers and sisters, he came to realize how narrow his vision was back then on the island.
“Good, now, let’s eat… And Elena, you can text with Alice later!” he added, noticing how Elena kept typing on her phone.
“... Yeah.... Will that guy… Yulian, be at that tournament?” Elena looked up and asked, putting her phone down as Luna, who held her son in her hand, also looked curiously toward Theodore.
“No idea, I told you before, although this tournament is a gathering for Aristocratic families to show off their martial arts, not all heirs are invited,” he sighed. He had no idea if Yulian would be there, as the Von Krone family was a really reclusive one. “If I see him, I will talk to him!”
“Please do!” Elena sighed. “Tell him to come for a visit… I want to have a talk with him!”
***
“The last time I was here, I was a little kid…” Aarak said, acting like a benevolent family head as he guided a few youngsters to climb a steep staircase heading up a barren mountain. It was as if they were in the middle of nowhere!
“Esteemed father, couldn’t we just take the helicopter up?” one young man with blond hair asked as he followed right behind Aarak. This question was on the mind of all 10 youngsters who followed behind them… Except for the one in the very back.
“Modern technology doesn't work perfectly here… This place is like a Dunegon or a Ruin, the higher we go, the stronger the disturbance would become,” Aarak explained kindly, making his son take out his phone and confirm that it seemed to have entered a restart loop! “Now enough chit-chat, we are almost there, keep acting dignified, and don’t ruin our family’s image!”
“Understand, father…. You hear that Perez… You better watch that …Sister of yours!” the young man said, turning to the youth right behind him.
“... I understand…” Perez said, not acting offended at all as he glanced toward Lily in the back. He had no idea why she wanted to come here, even giving up an opportunity to request a stronger position in the family for it. But she better not mess around or ruin his plans, or he would take care of her himself!
Lily, who could naturally figure out what was going on in the little mind of her big brother, sighed without care as she looked around at this foreign yet familiar place. These lands in her Timeline were the Palace grounds of Spirit Castle, the seat of her master, the Spirit Lord. It was not barren like this, though, but full of vitality as knights and servants ran across those stairs all day, fulfilling their tasks!
Could her master have left something for her here? Or does she have to enter the tower to find out? She had no idea, but no matter what, going through this place was a must to get there!
Moments later, they reached the top, where an old man was napping at a table with nothing behind him but an empty arch stone gate.
“Von Krone… 11 seats…” Aarak told the old man, who barely opened his eyes, flashing a family token, then passed right beside him as he walked toward the gate.
The old man just looked at the token, nodded, then looked at the list in his hand, and then wrote a few words in it before closing his eyes again.
“Lui, Pereze, Kar…” Aarak started immediately calling for five youths, giving each one of them a jade Key. “Each of you go toward the Gate and raise the key and let it test you…”
The youths nodded, starting with Lui, the blond youth who walked toward the gate and raised the key up as his father instructed.
A moment later, a light shone upon him, then he vanished!
“Next!” Aarak said, making the other four quickly do the same. In a moment, they were gone.
“Now… the rest you also go toward the gate… Unlike Lui and the others, you will not be seeded players, but will have to join from the preliminaries…. Lily, you can join them if you want, although you only want to watch, I don’t mind you joining, as long as you…” Aarak began to speak.
“No, I will enter as a Spectator!” Lily interrupted, ignoring her uncle as she headed to the gate.
“YOU….” Aarak wanted to yell at her for being disrespectful, but, feeling the old man’s glare, he held his tongue. He didn’t want to appear incompetent in front of that elder from the player council.
Lily didn’t care as she finally reached the gate, and touched its side as she remembered that she used to pass through this place that led to the training fields at least 9 times every day…
WELCOME TO THE IMPERIAL TOURNAMENT
[CONDITIONAL VIRTUAL EVENT DUNGEON]
WILL INITIATE EVENT IN 13 HOURS 51 MINUTES 25 SECONDS
CREATING, PASS...
NAME: LILY VON KRONE
AGE: 19.3
KEY: NONE
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR ENTRANCE PASS TYPE:
KEY PLAYER [DO NOT HAVE A SKELETON KEY]NORMAL PLAYER SPECTATOR
“For the one beyond the truth, for the Spirit of the world… I submit!” she said solemnly.
BING…
INPUT ACCEPTED… CHECKING AGAINST DATABASE… SOUL ID CONFIRMED!
1 NEW PASS KIND IS AVAILABLE
SPRITE PLAYER
Lily couldn’t help but smile as she clicked the new option. A moment later, the world around her shifted as she appeared on a gilded balcony. Peering from behind the gold translucent curtain, she could see the huge Colosseum below, where many seats were beginning to fill up with all kinds of people who came from the different player forces around the world!
This place was just the same as back then… She remembered when she used to fight in the collision below, disciplining those youths who aspired to join her Order.
“LILY?” someone asked in surprise from behind her, making her turn back and see the three girls who were seated on strangely styled velvet couches around the balcony. The first two seemed to be feeling a little awkward, while the last was relaxing with her feet crossed over the couch, as if this place was her own bedroom.
“Zoe… Kuura and Mona…” she squinted her eyes as she identified them. She expected those three to be here since Victor told her she had met them.
“So…Liliara, you…” Mona squinted her eyes, leaning forward as she began to inspect Lily from head to toe, especially the sword she was holding. “Wait, you also got the Soul Wing?” This was Lily’s signature weapon from that timeline.
“Yup… I got my memories back thanks to my family’s stupid cleansing… And it seems like this good boy is really destined to be mine, though his name now is Nutslicer…” she chuckled. “Anyways, it’s good to see you all again!” she added, turning to the girls again.
“Yeah, we have so much to…” Mona paused as the side of the room shimmered and a newcomer appeared, making all the girls turn and almost gasp. “You…”
“Oh… I am glad... It seems like I am not the only one here!” the young man said as he flashed a stunning smile. “Liliara… I have to say this, but we are really fated to be together!"
“MALCOLM!” Lily hissed as Mona also glared at that guy in shock. Damn it, why, among all the troublesome guys in the world, did this one have to regain his memories too?
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