Inside the isolated spatial dinsion, Auren was sealed away by none other than Emperor Roov himself.
The air was heavy, thick with a strange pressure that clung to his lungs and made every breath taste of iron.
The walls of the pocket realm stretched into infinity, yet it felt suffocatingly small, as if the very space was folding in on him.
Above, the skies were painted in eerie hues of violet and black, stars twisting unnaturally in constant motion.
And in the middle of this warped prison stood Emperor Roov, holding a legendary grade sword that shimred faintly in the dim light.
"Be honest with kid."
His grip on the blade was steady, his stance relaxed yet oppressive.
Each step he took toward Auren thud like thunder against the invisible floor, echoing in the boundless void.
"Looking at the elvish writing on that ring," Roov said coldly, his deep voice echoing like a commandnt, "I know you did not make that. So tell ..."
He leaned forward slightly, his piercing eyes narrowing into icy slits.
"Who gave it to you?"
The question lanced through Auren like a spear.
He instinctively reached for options—fight, flee, lie—but the mont he tried to move, he realized there was nowhere to run.
No matter how far he could sprint, he would always remain inside this suffocating cage of infinite space. And such power is only available to those beings who have reached the ascended martial realms only handful of beings have reached so far.
Auren’s lips tightened as his thoughts scrambled.
His heart pounded hard against his ribs, sweat beading across his forehead.
This was not a man he could bluff without consequence. In his mind, he reached out for guidance.
Bigbird, should I tell him the truth?
The phoenix spirit answered without hesitation, its voice echoing through his soul like a calm fla.
I think there is no harm in telling him. After all, as an Emperor, he should already know a thing or two about Runewood and its people. And if my guess is right, he has a deep interest to the original owner of that ring.
You an queen Elarya?
Auren exhaled slowly, forcing his trembling hands to still.
In that case, let’s do that.
Straightening his back, Auren steadied himself. His voice, though wavering at first, soon found a firm tone.
"I got this ring from Queen Elarya, the elven queen of Runewood."
The answer struck Roov like a blade.
His expression shifted instantly from mild curiosity to sharp irritation.
His smile vanished, wiped away as though it had never existed, and in its place ca a twitch of anger that warped his aged face into sothing ugly and raw.
The faint wrinkles around his eyes deepened, his jaw clenched so tightly the bones beneath seed ready to crack.
"Did you hear that, Grim?" Roov muttered, his voice low, strained, and simring with fury. His eyes, however, never left Auren.
They glowed faintly, sharp and unblinking, like a predator fixated on prey. It was clear he was speaking to soone or sothing that Auren could not see.
Auren’s brow furrowed, a bead of sweat trailing down his temple. Could he be talking to a Spirit Beast inside him?
Bigbird’s voice confird his suspicion, sharp and knowing.
He is an Emperor with an Awakened Bloodline. Of course he has soone like . A partner. A beast that shares his power.
Roov’s voice cracked then, breaking with the weight of restrained fury. The calm veneer of an Emperor was gone, stripped down to sothing primal.
His grip tightened on the massive sword until his knuckles whitened, veins bulging along his forearm like roots straining beneath the bark of an ancient tree.
"I have been faithful, loyal, and true to my love for her," Roov growled, his words dragging through gritted teeth.
Insulted is obvious in the corners of his mouth, his rage barely contained.
"And the first one she chooses to give a ring to... is a child?"
His jaw flexed audibly, a grinding sound like stone against stone.
"Can you believe that, Grim?" His voice rose sharply, desperate, as though he needed the invisible companion to validate his madness.
His chest heaved, drawing in ragged breaths that trembled with fury. Then his gaze sharpened once more, boring into Auren with eyes that now burned with unmasked murderous intent.
"I will be honest, Grim," Roov hissed, his tone dropping to a venomous whisper.
He stepped closer, and with that step his aura exploded outward. It was like a tidal wave of raw power, invisible yet crushing.
The air itself seed to collapse, thick and suffocating, dragging at Auren’s lungs. The very space quivered as if bowing under Roov’s presence.
To Auren, it was like standing directly beneath a sun at its zenith. His skin prickled with searing heat, his muscles spasd under the weight of the pressure.
The oppressive mana crawled over him like molten chains, threatening to lt him alive from the inside out. His knees buckled, and for a fleeting mont he thought he might collapse.
"I am mad. Very mad," Roov admitted, his voice dropping to a guttural tremble. The words ca not as confession, but as a promise.
"And I am extrely jealous right now." His chest rose and fell violently, like a beast fighting to restrain itself, like a volcano monts away from erupting.
"And unless I take him out, I doubt I will ever calm down."
The words struck Auren like a hamr to the spine. His stomach churned, bile rising in his throat. His instincts scread, every nerve raw with alarm. This guy is a lunatic!
Roov’s hand rose slowly, the motion deliberate, terrifying in its inevitability. His fingers curled around the hilt of his blade as his expression twisted into sothing primal, sothing closer to a beast than a man.
And in that flicker of madness, Auren saw it—the faint shimr in Roov’s eyes, the subtle tilt of his head, as though he were listening. Receiving ssages from the other end.
Auren’s instincts roared, and before he could think further, Roov swung, his blade cutting through the dinsion with blinding speed, aiming to cleave Auren in two.
shit!
Flas burst across Auren’s hand as he summoned his Divine Rapier in desperation. His arms scread in protest as he caught the attack head-on, both hands gripping tightly.
CLAAAANG!
The clash shook the very space around them, sparks scattering like fireworks.
The impact hurled Auren far back, his body skidding about twenry ters away before halting. His bones rattled, his arms numb, but he was alive.
This man... he really intends to kill just because Queen Elarya gave a ring? Is he really that stupid?
Roov, seeing his target still breathing, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Stop resisting, kid. You know I am a busy man. I had to send a dummy to attend the official Queening ceremony just so I could co personally to find you."
He raised his sword again,
"You should feel honored... that I will be the one to kill you."
"F*ck you."
The words slipped from Auren’s mouth like venom, cutting through the Emperor’s arrogant tone.
Roov blinked, caught off guard, before letting out a low chuckle.
"Haha. What did you say, kid?"
"I said f*ck you."
Auren barked, eyes blazing.
His lips curled into a defiant sneer.
"You want this ring? Then co and get it, you lovesick, brainless emperor! I bet Queen Elarya never liked you because you’ve got the mind of a cow dung."
Bigbird’s voice crackled in his head, sharp with warning.
Master, please, be mindful of your words! Rember, he is still an—
I know he’s an Emperor, but a stupid one at that. And probably backed by a crazy Holy Beast as well, Auren cut him off.
His hands trembled, not out of fear but rage.
But I just can’t stomach an ego like his wanting to kill because of a ring! Can’t he just ask it from nicely? Why does it have to end up to murder!?
Roov’s facade cracked further.
His disguise of an aged man peeled away, his form shifting and expanding.
In the blink of an eye, the frail elder was replaced by a towering figure, at least seven and a half feet tall.
His pale brown skin shimred under the eerie light, silver hair glinting with a tallic sheen. A sharp black mustache frad his face, and his deep blue eyes burned with fury.
His dazzling golden armor glead, forged from enchanted tals that pulsed with magical light. Draped across his back was a crimson cape, adorned with the emblem of a purple serpentine dragon coiled around a sword- a symbol of the Wha-lah Empire.
He looked every bit the Emperor—majestic, radiant, but terrifying.
Roov’s lips curled into a mocking smirk.
"So you’ve steeled yourself to die, huh." His eyes glowed faintly with shifting colors, proof of silent Observation casting. He raised his sword, power rippling across the dinsion.
’Isn’t that what you wanted?’ Auren barked back.
Then, tilting his head slightly as though whispering to soone unseen, Roov muttered,
"Don’t worry. That little grimlin won’t know. As long as we’re in this space, I’ll finish this quickly before he finds us."
Auren’s heart skipped.
Little Grimlin? Could he be referring to Bonbon?
Bigbird’s tone was sharp.
If he’s plotting against you like this, it ans he has a backer strong enough to rival even that crazy Bonbon’s power.
Before they could piece it together, Roov dashed forward, vanishing from sight.
"Stay put, kid. This will be quick."
The Emperor’s sword now glowed with radiant, multicolored mana, a brilliance that distorted space itself as it move. Auren could tell, this is no ordinary sword Aura, but probably the highest stage sword aura!
’huh?’
Auren tried to move but found his body suddenly locked in place. Panic surged as he realized what it was.
Aura domination...
Ti slowed down as his mind raced. The overwhelming disparity in power left his body shackled by Roov’s sheer presence, unable to even twitch a finger.
In that case—
Auren’s body flared with blinding fire. His Divine Form erupted forth, breaking the invisible chains restraining him.
Roov paused mid-strike, his brow lifting.
"Hmph. So this is the Divine Form you used against the King Beast." His smirk widened, but his steps did not falter.
"Co on. Let see how strong you truly are."
Before Emperor Roov, Auren unleashed his strongest form, ready to fight until the end.
This ti, Auren has decided to fight with all he got.
And yes, even if it ans kiling the emperor.
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