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Chapter 183 - VOL 3 Chapter 21: The Legendary Level.
"Hehehe, it seems your little factions get weaker by the day. Even joining forces, they can't keep up with my Arcane Order anymore." The Director remarked confidently, his voice radiating power as he looked at the three others standing before the groups. His words caused their expressions to sour for a brief moment.
"Don't get too cocky, Lysander. As always, you're just relying on cheap tricks to stand out."
A man who appeared to be around 35 years old replied with irritation, prompting Erik to take a closer look at him, noticing a few curious details. The man had sharp, well-defined features, and together with his neatly styled short brown hair and the elegant, aristocratic-looking dark robe he wore, he projected an imposing and attractive presence.
But what caught Erik's attention the most were the man's piercing golden eyes, which looked strikingly similar to Eleonora's—so much so that they seemed to share some kind of connection, as if they were related in some way.
"Hehehe, are you really so desperate that you're calling the Myst connection a cheap trick? Seems like your Meridian Federation isn't doing too well these days." The Director replied with disdain as he stared at the golden-eyed man, whose brow furrowed in response.
"Sounds like you're begging for a beating, Lysander." The man said in a heavy tone as his mana ignited and the space around him began to tremble.
"Well, I've been meaning to stretch these old bones anyway..." The Director replied confidently, just as an imposing sword appeared in his hand, radiating a violet ethereal light while the space around him began to fluctuate dangerously.
"Oh, a fight? How fun. Let's get started already."
As the two legendary-level figures glared at each other with hostility, a melodic voice filled with power and dignity echoed through the air, prompting Erik to turn his head with curiosity—only to find a woman of wild beauty, holding both a sword and a battleaxe in her hands.
The woman had long, pale-blonde hair braided over her shoulders and wore an imposing Viking-style armor made of leather and metal, designed for high mobility. It also featured a prominent neckline that accentuated her generous bust.
But the most striking thing about her were the runic tattoos that covered her body—from her forehead to her chest, arms, and legs—which glowed with a mystical, supernatural blue light that matched her deep blue eyes.
"Don't say something so terrifying, Yrsa. If you join in the fun, we'll definitely miss the opening of the ruin and have to wait another three months."
Looking at the wild beauty, the Director commented cheerfully as his sword vanished from his hand and he calmed his mana—something the golden-eyed man did as well, albeit with an annoyed groan.
"You're right about that. A shame—it would've been fun."
The fierce and stunning warrior woman replied with a hint of disappointment in her tone as her sword and battleaxe disappeared. Then, with a subtle smile, she added.
"But I must say, the young ones from your Arcane Order this generation are quite impressive."
Erik's muscles tensed instinctively as he felt a subtle gaze of curiosity coming from the legendary-level ruler of the Boreal League. Though he tried to act like nothing was happening, doing his best to ignore the woman who was triggering all kinds of warning signals in his mind.
"Hehehe, what can I say? My Arcane Order has always been full of geniuses."
The Director remarked with a subtle hint of disdain in his tone as he glanced toward the groups accompanying the other three faction leaders—each made up of only three or four Master-level individuals. It was a pitiful sight compared to the eight proud Master-level powerhouses standing behind him.
"Taking in traitors makes it easy to pad your numbers." The golden-eyed man remarked at that moment, glaring at Eleonora with open hostility.
"How pathetic you look, making such cheap excuses, Aelric FULGUR."
Eleonora snapped almost instantly, her voice dripping with contempt as she placed sharp emphasis on the man's surname, her beautiful golden eyes glowing dangerously. The ruler of the Meridian Federation attempted to pressure her with his aura, but the Director immediately countered with his own, speaking in a mocking and scornful tone.
"Did it really hurt you that much that a descendant separated from you by more than ten generations rejected your pathetic Meridian Federation? You truly look pathetic, Aelric."
"That treacherous bitch is the pathetic one—for daring to reject her ancestor. Her rightful place was at my side, since she owes everything she has to my bloodline."
Aelric snapped back in anger—after all, he still remembered the day he had personally extended an olive branch to that ungrateful bitch, offering her the chance to redeem the sins of her exiled bastard son who had died pathetically hundreds of thousands of years ago, leaving behind that joke of an empire called Silverwood. But the treacherous woman had the audacity to reject him and make a fool of him.
"Right, that's why all your descendants reach the Master level before they're even five thousand years old."
The Director retorted sarcastically, his tone laced with mockery as he glanced at a golden-eyed man standing near Aelric. This man appeared to be around forty and bore a notable resemblance to the ruler of the Meridian Federation—one of the arrogant bastard's direct descendants, who had managed to reach the Master level within the last hundred thousand years, doing so at the age of eighty thousand after consuming the resources of entire planets.
...
While the Legend-level figures argued, unnoticed by most—but not by those paying close attention—a notebook appeared in Erik's hand. It had a black cover with subtle golden metallic threadwork along the edges. Despite being a completely ordinary notebook, it seemed to radiate an infinite murderous intent, enough to send chills down the spine of anyone who laid eyes on it.
Without saying a word, Erik wrote something in the notebook in a slow, methodical manner, almost as if performing a personal ritual. Once finished, he closed the notebook using only the fingers of his left hand while staring at the Meridian Federation's group. The sound of paper snapping shut echoed—but for those watching closely, it carried the unmistakable weight of a guillotine slicing through the neck of the condemned.
The Director, who—even in the midst of his argument—had never stopped keeping an eye on Erik, could easily sense how the Myst surrounding the star-haired young man subtly began to turn 'cold and murderous', resonating with the boy's emotions. This led him to glance at Aelric with a mixture of pity and mockery.
(You're seriously screwed, Aelric. You just pissed off none other than the most talented man in recorded history—someone who checks every box to be a true child of the Myst—and to top it all off, is beloved by the most terrifying spirits I've encountered in my entire existence.
(Rest in peace, old rival... your absurd arrogance has finally caught up with you, and you've just signed your death warrant. And if Erik truly has some of Tal'veren in him... you may have doomed your entire faction too.)
Meanwhile, on the faces of Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina, charming smiles appeared as their hearts beat with intensity. They knew perfectly well what Erik's notebook represented—and seeing the man they loved becoming enraged on their behalf, seeking vengeance, made them feel incredibly cherished and protected. His actions made it clear that they mattered more to him than his usual aversion to conflict.
Meanwhile, on Thalia's face—who had also been watching Erik—there appeared a beautiful smile full of approval. Though she didn't know what the notebook meant, she was sensitive enough to feel a genuine murderous intent radiating from him. She found the star-haired young man increasingly interesting and attractive, which made her shake her head, amused at herself. Anyone hearing her thoughts might think she was interested in someone several thousand years younger—a complete absurdity.
(How ridiculous... it's not like I'm a cradle-robber like Eleonora and Sigrún. I just find him a little interesting because of his incredible connection to the Myst—it could really help me improve. And he's also very smart... and talented... and funny... and creative... and maybe a little handsome...
(Anyway, it's purely academic interest! I'm only paying attention because of that, and maybe to annoy Sigrún and Eleonora. That's all! I'm not a cradle-robber, and I'm definitely not a husband-stealer!)
"Alright, stop barking like bitches already—you look pathetic."
As Thalia tried to come to terms with her own thoughts, the wild beauty in Viking armor commented casually, looking at Aelric and the Director.
"As sharp-tongued as ever, Yrsa." The Director said casually, while Aelric let out an irritated growl and crossed his arms, to which Yrsa replied dismissively.
"Whatever. Let's leave the youngsters alone to get to know each other—I want to speak with you both."
Before continuing, Yrsa turned to look at an Asian man dressed in an elegant traditional robe, which blended aesthetically with light armor featuring intricate details—especially on the pauldrons, which somehow resembled wings thanks to their sharp, stylized design.
Despite standing at the front of the Jade Lotus Union's group, the man had not spoken a single word and had simply observed everything around him with a calm, serious expression. Combined with his perfectly styled long hair and finely trimmed beard and mustache, he exuded an air of authority and elegance.
"This includes you as well, Xiuwen."
The man simply nodded with poise at Yrsa's words and vanished from the scene in a flash, quickly followed by the other legend-level figures, who disappeared moments later.
...
The disappearance of the legend-levels acted like a signal—shortly afterward, the Master-levels began talking amongst themselves or gathering with Master-levels from other factions, forming small cliques, something the younger ones quickly began to imitate.
Soon, across the arid asteroid, all kinds of tables, chairs, and other furnishings began to appear, creating a kind of impromptu social gathering, albeit with clear divisions—the Master-levels grouped several dozen meters away from the younger crowd, who began to chat among themselves.
As for Erik, he simply found a secluded ledge and sat down in front of an elegant table that had appeared out of nowhere, where Seraphina promptly served some cookies and a bit of tea with great professionalism. After eating a cookie, he took a book from his storage ring and began to read.
A few minutes later, a handsome young Asian man appeared in front of Erik. He had short, neatly styled black hair and dark eyes, and was dressed in a traditional black Asian robe embroidered with intricate gold-thread patterns on the sleeves and chest.
"Long time no see, Erik."
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Erik looked up to find Chen Ming—the young man from the Jade Lotus Union whom he had met during his first university class with Professor Sunflare, and whom he occasionally helped with calculations and similar matters. Erik greeted him with a smile.
"It really has been a while."
Erik set the book he had been reading on the table and smiled as an elegant chair materialized in front of him. Chen sat down just as Seraphina served him a cup of tea.
"So, how did the family meeting go?" As Chen tasted the tea, Erik asked casually, and the young man responded a moment later with a rather peculiar expression.
"Well... you could say it went pretty well. At the very least, my father was quite pleased with my progress."
"Then why that look?" Erik asked, slightly curious, prompting Chen to smile somewhat awkwardly as he answered.
"Things happened, hehe."
"Family secret?" Erik asked casually while picking up a cookie, to which Chen replied with a hint of discomfort, imagining how the star-haired boy might react once he heard it.
"Not exactly... and actually, it involves you."
"Me? What do I have to do with your family matters?" Erik asked, clearly confused, and Chen replied with a small sigh.
"I'd have to tell you the whole story."
"Then give me a summary." Erik replied casually while Seraphina refilled his cup of tea, to which Chen responded with a bitter smile.
"I'll try."
***
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