This here ends the first volu of the book.
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[Garrick Rutherford's POV]
T-This?!
I-Is this the power of Samael Ashwood?!
E-Even Liriel falls before him?!
No... Liriel was given only the lowest affinity for Ti Magic, That too an artificial transplanted one... And this battle will surely alert the Empires and other kingdoms.
I have to clear any other evidence pointing toward here ... And since that ashwood brat has proof of my previous experints I can only retreat... it's a pity my only smart daughter chose to betray and that brat even took... my wife.
With one final look at the battlefield of Titans, I turned around and walked the still-standing Rutherford Estate on the horizon while gesturing to the cloaked figures to follow.
"It seems retreat is the only option for now... After I acquired 'that thing' no one would be able to stop ." I muttered under my breath I looked at the horizon, determination burning in my eyes.
The cloaked figures following moved silently, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods, their loyalty unwavering.
They are so of the few successful experints each almost on par with Liriel... But unlike her, I will perfect them further with ti... and when I find 'that thing' I will start my own empire. Samael Ashwood may have won this battle, but the war is far from over.
I clenched my fists, feeling the cold bite of the night air as it swept across the ruins of what was once a grand estate. The Ashwood boy had proven to be a much more formidable opponent than I had anticipated. Liriel, my prized sorceress, had fallen before him, and now I had lost the only weapon that could manipulate the flow of ti itself.
But no matter. There were other ans, other paths to power. The experints I had conducted were far from over. And with "that thing"—the ancient artifact I had been hunting for decades—I would ascend to a level of power no one, not even Samael, could comprehend.
"Prepare for the extraction," I ordered the cloaked figures, my voice low and asured. "We're leaving this place behind, but the next ti we strike, it will be with a force no one will see coming."
One of the figures stepped forward, bowing slightly. "And what of Lady Rutherford, my lord? Should we attempt to retrieve her?"
My gaze turned toward the general direction of Ashwood territory, now barely visible in the distance. A flicker of emotion passed through , but I quickly smothered it. "No. Let her stay with them. She's no longer of any use to ."
The figure nodded, stepping back into the shadows.
I took a final look at the battlefield. The devastation was imnse, but it was only a taste of what was to co. Samael Ashwood had made a powerful enemy today, and when the ti ca, I would ensure that he regretted ever crossing paths with .
"Let's go."
After a while of walking, I entered the estate to look for any remaining proof of my involvent and destroy it, in fact, this is the second reason I ca here.
First was of course to take my Sera with ... but it seems I miscalculate everything from Ashwood brat's power to his cunningness to take Sera with him.
With swift, asured steps, I moved through the corridors of the Rutherford Estate, now eerily silent. The grandeur of the place felt like a hollow shell, empty of purpose. Everything here would need to be wiped clean — no trace of my involvent, no records of my experints, nothing that could tie to the dark magic I had been practicing for years.
"My lord, we've secured the upper floors," one of the cloaked figures reported as he appeared at my side.
"Good. Ensure that every docunt is burned, and every piece of evidence destroyed. We leave nothing behind."
As I made my way toward my personal study, I could feel a faint stirring of anger deep within . Samael Ashwood had ruined everything, and yet... I couldn't help but marvel at his sheer power. A boy — barely a man, really — had dismantled years of planning in a single confrontation.
I thought I had accounted for every possibility: Liriel, with her artificial Ti Magic, should have been enough to slow down even the most powerful mage. But Samael... he was different. Sothing in him defied the natural order, and it wasn't just his strength. His cunning, his ability to manipulate the flow of events — it reminded too much of myself.
But that was where our similarities ended.
My hand touched the smooth surface of the desk in my study. Hidden compartnts, wards of protection — all ant to safeguard the secrets I had spent a lifeti cultivating. I activated a hidden chanism, revealing a series of scrolls, so aged beyond their years, others written in languages long forgotten by the common world. These were my contingency plans, the foundation of what was to co.
With a flick of my wrist, I summoned fire to my fingertips, watching as the flas danced. The scrolls — years of research, forbidden knowledge — were consud by the blaze, turning to ash within monts.
"Assemble the rest of the n," I commanded without turning. "We leave for the southern territories before dawn. It's ti we begin preparations for the final phase."
The figure nodded, disappearing into the shadows to relay my orders.
I took a deep breath, surveying the remnants of my study. The estate would soon be nothing more than a mory, erased from the annals of history. But my plans — no, my destiny — were far from finished. I still had the experints, and once I found "that thing," there would be no force strong enough to stop .
I could hear the faint echoes of battles still raging in the distance, the remnants of the confrontation with Samael's forces. Let him have his victory today. Let him savor the taste of triumph. But when I returned, it would be with powers beyond his understanding.
For now, I had to disappear, regroup, and grow stronger.
"Samael Ashwood..." I whispered under my breath, staring out of the window into the vast, dark horizon. "Enjoy your fleeting mont of glory, because the next ti we et, I will bring you to your knees."
With that final thought, I turned and walked away from the estate, leaving behind the ruins of my past life and stepping into the shadows of a future brimming with vengeance.
"My lord, What about the subject 'XB-II'? 'It' is training under your order in the safe house with other young masters and miss, Should we rally your orders to them too?"
I paused for a mont, the ntion of "Subject XB-II" stirring sothing within . That particular experint was one of my most promising— a child imbued with the finest enhancents my dark magic could offer. Born and bred for one purpose: to serve as the ultimate weapon. A pawn in my greater sche.
"Hmm... Rally the orders and tell them to be quick with packing, It might take quite a few years to get back," I turned my face looking at the moon in the distance, its cold light reflecting off the devastation left in Samael's wake. The experint, XB-II, was my trump card—a masterpiece I had painstakingly crafted, and one that Samael would never see coming.
"Send word to the others," I continued, my voice low and calculated. "Tell them to maintain their positions until further notice. We will need them for the final act."
The cloaked figure bowed and vanished into the shadows, leaving alone to contemplate the pieces I still had in play. Subject XB-II was just one of the pawns I had yet to reveal, a weapon lying in wait until the perfect mont. Along with "that thing," it would ensure my domination.
I clenched my hand, the faint scent of smoke still lingering in the air from the destroyed docunts. This was a setback, yes, but it was not the end. Far from it. I had always known the path to true power would be treacherous, and this battle was just the beginning.
My eyes lost their focus as mories of my 'beloved' Sera surfaced yet again...
Her smile... Her gentle eyes... her touch...
All before she saw what... she shouldn't have...
I had to do it... That's the only way... In those I had to put her in an artificial coma until I had the ans to extract 'them'... The betrayal stung more deeply than I had anticipated. The loss of Sera, my trusted ally and confidante, was a wound that would not heal easily. Yet, even in her absence, I had no room for weakness.
My ambitions demanded that I press forward, no matter the personal cost.
My hand tightened into a fist, crushing a small piece of debris underfoot. I needed to consolidate my power, gather what remained of my resources, and prepare for the next phase of my plan.
I stepped out of the study, passing through the dimly lit corridors of the estate one last ti. The emptiness of the once-grand ho mirrored the void left by my recent failures and losses. Yet, amidst the desolation, there was also opportunity. The wreckage of my old life was the foundation upon which I would build my new empire.
As I approached the main entrance, I saw the cloaked figures moving swiftly through the estate, their task of destruction nearly complete. The sounds of their work—the crackle of burning docunts, the clatter of dismantled artifacts—ford a grim symphony of endings and beginnings.
I stopped at the threshold, casting one last glance at the place that had been both a sanctuary and a forge for my darkest ambitions. The sight of the smoldering ruins stirred sothing within —a fierce determination. I would rebuild from this chaos and erge stronger than ever. My enemies, especially Samael Ashwood, would learn the true aning of vengeance.
"Ensure that all traces of our presence are eradicated," I ordered, my voice carrying a note of finality. "We cannot afford any mistakes."
The figures nodded in acknowledgnt. I watched as they continued their work, making sure no evidence remained. The remnants of the Rutherford Estate were systematically erased, a testant to the ticulous nature of my plans.
Once satisfied, I turned away, heading towards the waiting carriage that would take to the southern territories. The night air was cold and biting, but I barely felt it. My mind was consud with thoughts of the future—of the artifact, the experints, and the strategies that would reshape the world.
As I settled into the carriage, I could hear the muffled sounds of the estate being dismantled behind . The motion of the carriage began, taking further away from the wreckage of my past and towards the unknown future.
The road ahead was shrouded in uncertainty, but I welcod it. My plans were only beginning, and the forces I would harness were beyond anything Samael Ashwood could imagine. With each passing mile, my resolve hardened.
"Samael Ashwood," I murmured to myself, staring out into the dark expanse of the night. "Enjoy your fleeting triumphs. For soon, you will face a storm unlike any other—a tempest of my making."
The carriage rolled on, carrying away from the ruins and towards a destiny forged in darkness and ambition. The world was vast, and its balance of power would soon be irrevocably altered by my hand. The final phase of my plan was approaching, and with it, the dawn of a new era—one where I would reign supre.
.
..
...
[To Be Continued]
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The second volu will start from tomorrow...
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