Even without seeing him, Damon already knew who it was.

Three armored men stood behind Alzara, each one emanating a powerful aura, their armor glinting gold under the mana lamp light. But it was the man in front, the one with gray hair like bleached ash and eyes that seemed to hold infinite wisdom, who was the main character.

The one and only Emperor of the Great Western Desert Empire.

"So," the Emperor laughed. "This is the bloodsucker who dragged my daughter out of the jaws of death. You don't look like much, but appearances deceive, don't they? And brat, why are you running away? I might be part of the light faction but I am not blind enough to fight every bloodsucker who comes my way."

Damon did not really care for his words. Words meant nothing. Even though he still had a searing pain when he tried to use Blood Gate, it was not that much now. He was easily able to stomach it and finish the skill. The portal opened up as well.

Emperor chuckled again as if he could read the thoughts in Damon's mind. "I guess this is not enough to make you stay. Well, if you want to leave, you can leave. But let me give you a warning first. I might be the Emperor here but I do not hold all the power in this Great Western Desert. The Nine Hidden Orders do."

Damon paused momentarily, raising a brow. It seemed to him that the Emperor needed something from him.

"Heh." The Emperor laughed again. "You an astute one, aren't you? When I first heard about you, you seemed brash and foolish but it looks like I was mistaken. Well then, shall we have a seat and talk?"

Damon didn't immediately respond. His crimson eyes flicked between the Emperor and the still-open Blood Gate behind him. "Fine," he said. "You have three minutes."

"Still not trusting me? That's fine. Here, take this." The Emperor threw a crystal towards Damon which he quickly caught.

"Inside there is all the information we have gathered so far about the Nine Hidden Orders. This will be very useful to you. It might seem like only Umbra's Hand is after you but trust me. When it matters, all the Hidden Orders typically join their hands and band together."

"Even though they have bad blood between them and there are always fights between one order or the other, they never let one of their own get taken down by the enemy. I am an Emperor only on name. The Nine Hidden Orders are the ones who truly rule this place."

"Collectively they are unshakeable. This is why I am going to help you. Alzara told me that you were most likely to go after the Umbra's hand. I have to warn you. This is pretty much a suicide mission. But if you are still planning to go, I want to lend you some trusted men from my side."

"Every single one of them are peak C rank experts. They are your best bet to win against the Umbra's hand. Don't worry. I am not really doing you any special favor. I have been meaning to launch an attack of my own on their base. So this will be my undertaking as well."

"Let me also be clear about something else. My men will follow your orders and fight for you. They will obey all commands but if their life is in danger, they will leave right away. They will not die for you. Fighting with the Umbra's hand is a suicide mission. There is no doubt about it. If worst comes to worst, I suggest you run too. There is no glory in dieing a fool's death."

Damon nodded, slipping the crystal into his storage space. He then jumped into the portal, only his voice remaining behind. "We can meet by the death ridge in two hours. I cannot wait more than that."

The Blood Gate closed after him, leaving behind Alzara, the Emperor and his few men.

"What a shrewd guy." The Emperor laughed again. "Alzara, I did not believe when you told me but this time, you might just be right. Perhaps we finally have someone who can shake the very roots of the Nine Hidden Orders."

Alzara bit her lips in frustration. "Father, you shouldn't have come here. You should have let me handle all the talking. Now I am not even sure if he will turn up."

The Emperor laughed. "He will turn up. There is no doubt about it. Didn't you see his name, dear?"

"Name?"

"Blood God. That bloodsucker is not just any bloodsucker. He is the one named Blood God, the one responsible for the recent invasion of the Crimson Mountains on the light faction continent."

Alzara gasped.

Seeing her reaction, the Emperor laughed. "Child, did you not even pay attention to such a small detail? The fairy dungeon must have been one hell of an adventure for you." He patted her back with a chuckle and turned around to leave.

"Father… I…" Alzara hesitated.

The Emperor did not turn around and continued walking. He only said. "Do as you please, my love. Since when did I say no to you or your mother. Just do as you please. I only ask that you use the amulet if you find yourself in danger."

Alzara's face immediately bloomed with the most beautiful smile. Her fingers brushed against the amulet hanging from her neck. It was warm, her father's mana signature pulsing faintly from within, a lifeline in case of danger. She clenched it tightly, her heart pounding.

She stood still for a moment staring at the space the Blood Gate had vanished from. She then snapped out of it and called for an attendant.

"Gather all the men my father selected. We need to leave right now. We cannot be late!" She spun around and started changing into another set of battle gear. She stood in front of a mirror and looked at her finished appearance with a satisfied smile.

But then her mind drifted back to few moments ago when that asshole had touched her so inappropriately. Her cheeks tinged red as she quickly walked out of the room. "We need to leave right away!" She shouted, her voice echoing everywhere in the royal palace.

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