Eugene and I stood across each other.
"You've gotten really fast from before though. I guess running did help."
"Best cardio session ever."
"Alright, let's move on to the next topic."
I tilted my head.
"We're going to utilize your authority in the most perfect way."
"That shouldn't take long."
Eugene nodded and walked over. I flinched, ready to be attacked, but it didn't seem like he was going to let his intrusive thoughts win this time.
"Any ideas?"
This bastard, again.
"How about calling it steps to hell."
"Ew. Cringe. Grow up." Eugene sighed. "Alright, let's keep naming for later. I'll explain what we'll be doing."
"Hm?"
"It's pretty much a copy of what Kaiser does. Except lets not call it gates."
"Hey, you! Where's the originality?"
"Shut up, child! Originality doesn't matter in the grown up world. All that one must care about is functionality! Anyway, Kaiser won't be able to use his gates all that much anyway, that weakling."
It was crazy that he was calling Kaiser a weakling, but I felt like I had surpassed that guy too. Especially now that I could go as far as dodging Eugene and not just seeing him.
"Anyway. You'll keep five percent of your strength sealed at all times."
"Oh?"
We were going to make even basic mode stronger than it is, huh?
"Won't my authority run out then?"
"Not really, I told you that Authority and Demonic Energy being one is a misconception that all of you have. Your Authority is just your control over the concepts. Not being able to use it is a skill issue and nothing else."
That's just rude now.
"Alright. And then, we'll make you progressively unlock more of your strength over ten levels. Six percent at one, eight at two, eleven at three, get it?"
I nodded.
"And, of course," Eugene smiled. "We'll make it so you never have to go beyond the zeroth stage. The longer you seal it the stronger you get."
"I guess we have a plan."
***
A key, and not the prison itself.
Those were the words that Eugene had left before disappearing from the world forever.
Standing in a room, looking down at the great Avalion forest of the Elves, Albert thought back on that day three years ago.
The same day that he lost an arm, and his best friend.
It was quite the shaky event, but things had to keep going.
As the Invasion Navy lost and was, most likely, killed along with Eugene, the invasion of the Outer Gods had been pushed back. Invasion Navy was the same being that made the pathway for all the other Outer Gods to enter any world, with it gone, their options had greatly shrunk down.
But at the same time, the people of the World's Alliance were unable to figure out when the Outer Gods would appear.
The oldest place that had been informed of the Outer Gods' inevitable onslaught by the Cosmic Dragon was none other than Elfatia, the world of Elves.
"Key…"
Eugene had left those words for Charlotte, but in his ears, he had whispered other clues.
The first was…
"Defeat, don't kill."
The Outer Gods were strong, far too strong. Even with a monster like Charlotte and Han Jun Ho in the fray, the Invasion Navy could only have been defeated at the cost of their lives, maybe.
Those words that he left them were supposed to be their token to victory.
After years of pondering, what Albert had concluded was rather simple.
The Outer Gods were not what was keeping them trapped, they were not their strength, but the wielders of it. Wardens of their prison.
The strength that the Outer Gods held, could be taken away. They were abilities not originating from the Outer Gods but ones that they controlled.
The Outer Gods simply had the keys, and were not the prison itself.
And if that was true.
"We can take the keys too."
Albert's eyes coldly swept over the forest where the greatest number of elves lived. His prowesses and wits had made him take great command in the alliance of the worlds.
And with that power, he had decided to test his theories out. Even if it meant sacrificing the world of the elves.
But of course, that was only a last case scenario. Even if Albert was ready to let many others die, he didn't want to do it. A much faster and better way to test his theories was by invading the worlds that had already been destroyed by the Outer Gods.
In their realm that the Dryads of Odin could read through, the worlds that were destroyed were just as numerous as the ones that hadn't faced that fate yet.
The traces that they would have left, and whatever the dead worlds held were useful data for them.
"Commander Albert," the door to his room was tapped on. Albert turned back to see an elf standing at the door. "Sir Mamon is asking for you."
The most heretical inventor in their gang was the haughty elf Mamon. He had known the guy since they met back on Earth, and had become rather well acquainted, though Albert couldn't stand him at all.
Mamon was far too whimsical and prideful for him to be considered normal. There was even a time when he burned his research post a game of poker and along with it, quite a lot of modern day money and time.
Just hearing that guy's name was enough of a headache. Even though he had taken hold of an important spot in their hierarchy, he was still very troubled,
"I'll be there."
"He says that he was able to find a path to what you were looking for."
Albert's eyes slightly widened.
After a long time of waiting, it seemed they finally had a chance to access the worlds that the Outer Gods had already wasted.
Sitting around hand in hand didn't suit them at all.
What he had to do…
Was to dive in and attack.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺