…
A few moments ago, at the center of the Moonlit Dove Garden…
The center area of the Moonlit Dove Garden was bustling with activity.
Although it was referred to as a garden, its spacious size and scenic view caused it to resemble a place of nature that was formed naturally by the world over tens of thousands of years.
There was a stream that ran throughout the Moonlit Dove Garden; however, it seemed to have no beginning nor end—as if it were trapped in an endless cycle.
The garden was not short on beautiful plant life filled to the brim with a natural vibrancy that made one feel at ease and erased their fatigue.
This location was not only one of the most popular places in the Twin Fang INN but the entirety of Devil’s Sanctum!
Scattered throughout the garden’s central location was a group of individuals whose appearance and air of authority gave away their identities as people of high social status.
However, among this group, five people, in particular, stood out as extraordinary as compared to tens of others within the garden. This group consisted of three males and two females who all came from incredible backgrounds in the Mortal Realm. And, one of them was someone Izroth would have recognized immediately.
The group sat together at a round table; however, no one appeared to be speaking. That is until one voice broke the silence.
“I accepted your invitation to give you some face, Young Zouren, but… Is there something that upsets you so much that you cannot appreciate the presence of the two beauties in your company? If so, this lady would not find it disheartening to retire a little early.” One of the women spoke with a voice light and sweet enough to cause one’s heart to flutter.
However, what truly caught one’s eye was this woman’s breathtaking beauty. Of course, this was no surprise considering that she was a member of the trephasia race—a race well known for its beauty. But, even among other trephasias, it was difficult to find one who reached this level in terms of appearance and natural grace.
She possessed a pair of eyes that mirrored the verdant of a vibrant forest. Her long flowing hair matched the color of moonlight. And, the mana in the surrounding atmosphere appeared to resonate with her.
“Leave? Surely a princess from one of the nine great clans of the forest is not so anxious? Relax and enjoy the scenery of this garden. In the end, I’m sure if anyone can appreciate its beauty, it is the fifth princess.” Zouren responded calmly.
“Alright, that’s enough of the flattery. Is it not time you tell us the real reason you called us here?” the fifth princess said with an inquisitive gaze. She was not the only one curious as to why Zouren invited them to this place.
The Devil’s Sanctum was well known for being a lawless city filled with more lowlifes than one would care to encounter in a lifetime. Unless one was performing questionable acts or shady business, there was no purpose for their visit to this city. After all, when it came to sightseeing, there were a plethora of other cities with more pleasant scenic qualities.
“Haazan should have already completed his task and returned by now. Why has he still not arrived? I should never have given this assignment to someone so incompetent. Since I sent the invitations out before participating in the second team’s selection, if I do not handle this situation correctly, how can I still have any face left?” Zouren internalized.
“Since the fifth princess is so eager, then I will no longer delay the matter,” Zouren said as he stood to his feet and swept his gaze across those present at the table.
NPC Name: Princess of the Fifth Great Clan, Luxia(???)
NPC Level: ???
NPC Name: Thousand Blossom Maiden, Sychia(???)
NPC Level: ???
NPC Name: The Unstoppable Behemoth, Hakros(???)
NPC Level: ???
NPC Name: Azure Lightning Agromin(???)
NPC Level: ???
NPC Name: Third Disciple of the Eight Heavens, Young Zouren(???)
NPC Level: ???
Luxia, one of the nine princesses of the Nine Great Clans that resided in the Mother of All Forests, the place of origin of the trephasia race. The title of “Princess” was only given to the most skilled female trephasia of a clan. And, one of the requirements to acquire this title was that the trephasia must have the blood of a High-Born running through their veins.
But, the thing that made a princess of the Nine Great Clans so respected throughout the Mortal Realm was that one of them would be the future queen of their race. This meant that Luxia could one day oversee the Mother of All Forests and all trephasias within would have to answer to her.
Next was the Thousand Blossom Maiden, Sychia. She was a refined young woman with lily colored eyes and long straight pink hair that stopped mid-way down her back. In terms of looks, despite being human, she was in no way inferior to Luxia. She wore a set of white and pink clothes woven together skillfully that gave her an appearance of elegance and grace. At her side was an exquisite sheath that housed a blade releasing a strong aura of frost despite being contained.
Sychia was a Thousand Blossom Maiden of the Order of the Thousand Blossoms, a title given only to the most outstanding individuals in the order.
Sat beside the Thousand Blossom Maiden was a man approximately 2.2 meters in height—much taller than any of those present. He had bronze skin, fierce red eyes, and wild black hair. His muscles were extremely well defined and could not be hidden beneath the monster fur he wore. This man was known as the Unstoppable Behemoth, Hakros. Among the younger generation, and the even older generation of the Mortal Realm, there were few who could rival him when it came to raw physical strength.
Then there was the Azure Lightning, Agromin. His height was slightly below average and his physique was nothing special. But, he could not be underestimated. Agromin commanded special azure lightning that was capable of striking down multiple foes in the blink of an eye. Though most terrifying was his speed, which was ranked near the top among the younger generation.
Finally, there was the host of this gathering, the Third Disciple of the Eight Heavens, Young Zouren. Due to being a combat genius and grasping his Source from an incredibly young age, Zouren became the Third Disciple of the Eight Heavens, a group with connections and power that reached the deepest levels of the Mortal Realm. Because of his young age as a disciple, people began to refer to him as “Young” Zouren.
These five individuals were all rare talents of the younger generation in the Mortal Realm and came from powerful backgrounds. Any one of them wielded enough influence and personal strength to inspire respect among those who crossed their paths. And, most importantly, every one of them had the potential, resources, and aptitude to one day reach the peak of the legendary realm!
Before entering into the second team’s selection, Zouren sent out special invitations to the four at the table. He planned on winning them over to help solidify his future as the master of the Eight Heavens. However, there was a problem.
When Zouren sent those invitations out, it was with the belief that he would claim first place in the second team’s selection and take on the role of captain. But, not only did he not obtain first place, even second place had fallen out of his reach!
How could Zouren have known that two unknown nobodies with questionable backgrounds would end up at the top? Even now, his blood boiled when he thought about how they ruined his plans. That’s why he sent some people to deal with them. And, once they successfully returned, the captain seat of the second team would belong to him. In this way, even if he did not take first place, he could maintain appearances.
But, the deadline Zouren set had already passed, which is why, initially, his attention was away from the gathering. He tried his best to stall for time; however, there was no contact from either of the parties Zouren sent out. This was troubling.
“I can’t afford to wait any longer. I will deal with those two failures later. For now, I can only delay the main topic at hand.” Zouren thought to himself.
“As you all know, each of us are in possession of a Realm Fragment to the three-star Secret Realm Era of Titans. And, since the fragments resonate with one another, I’m sure you all are already aware of the fact that I am in possession of two of the six fragments needed to access the Secret Realm. That’s why I propose-“
“Arrogant! How dare you cause trouble here?!” A voice erupted not too far from the entrance of the Moonlit Dove Garden.
Zouren inwardly frowned. Who was so brazen as to cause a disturbance at an event he hosted?
Zouren looked over towards the area where the loud voice came from; however, the moment he saw who was there, his gaze became cold. That’s because that person was supposed to be dead!
If he were here, then…
“It’s him…! That fool must have failed..!” Zouren internalized as he contained his anger.
The person his gaze landed on was the last person he wanted to see right now. The one who stole his spot as the captain of the second team, Izroth!
