Chapter 1344: News

The old man gritted his teeth, his expression growing increasingly grim. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to assist his subordinates below. He wanted to descend into the Imperium and join the battle, but the woman standing before him had blocked his path from the very beginning.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

Why?

Because the woman before him was a powerful expert in the Tenth Shackle Realm.

Worse still, the pair of wings extending from her back left little room for doubt about her identity. She was an Angel, most likely a member of the Angel Faction, one of the Holy Lands of God’s Continent.

The old man’s jaw tightened.

He could sense the terrifying power hidden beneath her seemingly calm demeanor. If he made a reckless move, he might not even get the chance to reach his subordinates before she struck him down.

Suddenly, both Esriel and the old man turned their heads.

Two figures emerged from the dense white mana, their silhouettes gradually becoming clearer as they approached.

Esriel’s eyes flickered when she recognized them.

"Oh, so my job here is complete."

With those words, she turned around, showing no intention of lingering any longer.

If a group of people entered the Imperium, it was her responsibility to prevent any Tenth Shackle Realm experts among them from entering. She had to keep them occupied until the other members of their group left the Imperium.

And now, two of the four people who had entered had returned.

Her task was finished.

She had no reason to remain here.

Yet, as Esriel prepared to leave, her thoughts drifted back to what had happened down there.

Her gaze lingered on the dense white mana for a moment longer.

’Still... what exactly happened down there?’

For the first time, a faint trace of unease crept into her thoughts.

Whatever had transpired inside the Imperium, it had been enough to make two of the four people return ahead of the others. The remaining two were probably dead.

Actually, she had no obligation to accept this task but she had nothing to do so she just accpeted it. Moreover, she was quite curious about what Blood Lightning Monster was trying to accomplish.

...

The Lord of the Wood had descended upon the Great Shen Empire.

Her arrival plunged the entire empire into chaos. Tens of millions perished in the ensuing catastrophe, and the empire’s higher-ups were wiped out. What had once been a flourishing nation was reduced to a land of death and destruction.

The news sent shockwaves through the Immortal Land before gradually spreading to every corner of God’s Continent.

Various higher entities were alarmed by the revelation. Some grew wary, sensing that the balance of power across the continent was about to change. Others, however, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, the Lord of the Wood had appeared within the Immortal Land.

That meant the Heavenly Court would have to deal with her.

Unless the Heavenly Court sought outside assistance and opened its borders, outsiders wouldn’t dare casually enter the Immortal Land. Its restrictions were too formidable, and the consequences of crossing its boundaries without permission were too severe.

For the time being, the Lord of the Wood was the Heavenly Court’s problem.

Meanwhile, the World Wolf Fenrir, who had been fighting the Lord of the Wood, withdrew upon realizing that she intended to leave the Three Theaters.

He made no attempt to stop her.

On the contrary, he welcomed her departure. With the Lord of the Wood gone, his hands would finally be free, allowing him to deal with other matters without being constantly hindered by that terrifying existence.

However, just as the other higher entities prepared to withdraw from the Three Theaters, an unexpected attack caught them off guard.

The Commandment of Selfless had ambushed them!

The assault came without warning, leaving the higher entities with little time to react. One of them perished in the attack, while the others narrowly escaped with their lives.

The Commandment of Selfless made no attempt to pursue the survivors.

She had sensed another presence approaching.

Anubis, the Lord of the Funerary Rites, Protector of the Graves, and Supreme Guardian of Death, had risen from his throne to hunt her down.

After all, the higher entity she had just slain belonged to the Aaru, the faction led by the Supreme Sun God Ra.

Killing one of Ra’s subordinates was no trivial matter. And Anubis, who stood as one of the most formidable beings within the faction, would never allow such an offense to go unanswered.

With the God of Death now pursuing her, the Commandment of Selfless chose not to prolong the confrontation.

She vanished once more, concealing herself in an unknown location.

Yet her brief appearance had already claimed the life of a higher entity and drawn the attention of Anubis himself.

The Three Theaters had barely settled after the Lord of the Wood’s departure, yet another storm was already brewing.

A piece of news spread like wildfire across God’s Continent.

The Blood Lightning Monster was alive.

Not only had he survived, but he had returned far stronger than before. He had participated in the battle that devastated the Great Shen Empire, and his appearance had sent shockwaves through the continent.

However, what truly caught everyone’s attention was the revelation that he belonged to an organization known as the Dragon Council.

The Dragon Council had played a significant role in the battle, fighting against both the Gluttony Army and the Council of High Worlds.

Dragon Council?

Most people had never even heard of this organization before. Yet, after the events in the Great Shen Empire, its name was destined to spread far and wide.

According to the intelligence gathered from various sources, the Dragon Council was composed of exceptionally powerful individuals. Their strength surpassed that of ordinary Hero-rank experts, and some of its members could even contend with veteran Heroes who had reached the Eighth and Ninth Shackle Realms.

Such a revelation was enough to make numerous forces take notice.

Who exactly were these people?

Where had they come from?

And why had an organization of such formidable individuals remained relatively unknown until now?

But the Dragon Council wasn’t the only source of confusion.

The Council of High Worlds had also participated in the battle.

What were those people from the sub-worlds doing in the Imperium?

Why had they gathered in the Great Shen Empire?

And what had triggered a conflict involving so many groups?

Questions piled upon questions, yet no one could provide a satisfactory answer. The available intelligence was fragmented, contradictory, and woefully insufficient to piece together the full picture.

There was only one undeniable fact.

The battle in the Great Shen Empire had been so catastrophic that it had forced the Lord of the Wood to descend upon the empire.

And now, with the Blood Lightning Monster’s return and the emergence of the Dragon Council, countless people was beginning to realize that something far greater had been unfolding behind the scenes.

...

Heavenly Demon Palace.

The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, yet its fading glow still illuminated the clouds, painting the sky in beautiful shades of crimson.

Alice rose from her seat and gazed at the breathtaking twilight.

"I wonder how he is..."

She murmured to herself.

The crimson sky reminded her of someone dear to her, someone she hadn’t seen in a long time. She stepped forward and grasped the railing, leaning against it as she gazed into the distance. She wanted to etch this beautiful scene into her memory, as though preserving it would somehow allow her to hold on to the person she missed.

For a while, she stood there in silence, allowing the gentle evening breeze to brush against her face.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room.

"Come in," Alice said.

The door opened, and a maid entered.

"Princess, I have some news."

Alice turned her head toward the maid, her expression immediately becoming serious.

A few minutes later, she learned about the events that had unfolded in the Great Shen Empire.

The information was far from complete. Since the news had traveled from another continent, many of the details were either inaccurate or missing altogether. Nevertheless, there was one piece of information that stood out above everything else.

Souta was alive.

For a moment, Alice felt as though a weight had been lifted from her chest.

But her relief didn’t last long.

According to the report, Souta had participated in a battle against the remnants of the Gluttony Army. The conflict had escalated to such an extent that a Monster Lord had eventually descended upon the Great Shen Empire.

Alice’s heart skipped a beat.

A Monster Lord...

Just imagining Souta caught in a battle against such a terrifying existence made her fingers tighten around the railing.

Did he survive?

The report said he was alive, but how reliable was that information? Had he escaped before the Monster Lord appeared, or had he been forced to confront that dreadful being?

She wanted to know more. Anything that could reassure her that he was safe.

Alice looked up at the maid, her eyes searching the woman’s face for any additional information.

"Is this all the news about him?"

"Yes, Princess. This is everything I’ve heard from the report," the maid answered truthfully.

Alice fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

"You can go now."

The maid bowed respectfully and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Once again, Alice was alone.

She slowly turned her gaze toward the twilight beyond the railing. The crimson clouds were beginning to fade as darkness gradually swallowed the horizon.

Souta was alive.

That was all she knew.

Yet, despite the relief those words brought her, an uneasy feeling lingered in her heart.

She couldn’t help wondering when they would meet again.

And whether, by the time that day came, he would still be the same person she remembered.

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