Meanwhile, Konrad appeared on top of his palace’s roof, enjoying the brush of the cool night breeze without further disturbance. Not for long. In a twister of golden light, Selene appeared at his right.
“Hehehe, Konrad, Konrad, I’m surprised. Are you getting softer?”
Selene teased with an amused grin. Unlike the rest, she’d bore witness to Konrad’s creation of the Purgatory, and when faced with the daunting cost, she couldn’t believe Konrad could go to such lengths for one traitorous son.
“Am I?”
“Are you not? With your typical self, for a son, it would be great if you didn’t castrate and quarter him. That, or make him live a life worse than death without hope for the future. But today, you chose to reward instead of punishing.
Tss, tss, tss.”
Selene replied to Konrad’s level inquiry.
“You misunderstand…”
A voice echoed, and at that time, Krann appeared at Konrad’s left in a twister of icy-light.
“Words such as ‘Don’t you dare have a son!’ or ‘I will skin them for baby fat!’ are merely Master’s jests. Master never cared about the children’s genders and looks after them all in his own way. If he did care, as the God-Sovereign of this Realm, he could have settled their genders long before birth. I know this, and so do their ladyships.
At the end of the day, his love for theatrical plays is the only reason why he acted as if he did. Their ladyships just humored him. With a Dao Heart like Master’s, how could those kinds of petty mortal man insecurities exist?”
Krann began while stroking his bearded chin with the assured smile of a knowledgeable expert.
“However, though Master is not heartless, counting on his fatherly love to spare the second prince is impossible. Prince Ube got a way out, not because Master is a good father, but because he’s a doting husband.”
Krann observed, causing Selene’s eyes to widen in disbelief.
“That’s it?”
Selene stammered, unable to accept such words.
“That’s it.”
Konrad clarified with a nod of approval.
“What purpose is there in pursuing Supremacy if you can’t even ensure the happiness of those you claim to cherish?
Verena is my woman. If she must weep, it can only be from joy. That feckless nuisance of a son is unqualified to pull tears of anguish from her. Giving him such a glory would have been the true reward.
How can I allow it? We might as well give him a chance to grow into a useful vassal.”
Konrad declared, and though Krann appeared unsurprised, Selene gawked in a stupor before breaking into a guffaw.
“Hahahaha, Konrad, if one day you perish, it must be because of your beauties. With that temperament, how can you master Nothingness and become the Almighty Supreme?”
Selene “chided” while Krann shook his head. But never did she expect Konrad’s next words to be.
“A man of culture lives and dies for beauty. How can such a fate startle me? As for Nothingness, don’t even mention mastering it, I want nothing to do with it.
If one day it stands as the last requirement of my absolute hegemony, I shall create my own Almightiness.”
Konrad affirmed with his hands resting on either side of his waist while his eyes peered into the starry sky.
“Well said, master!”
Krann approved, and though she said nothing more, so did Selene.
Silence chimed in as Konrad closed his eyes to let the most memorable moments of his time within this Realm sweep through his mind. From his transmigration into this world, to his meetings with the women that would one day become his consorts. His clashes with the von Jurgen princes, his time, lessons and strife with Olrich, the Tower of Rebirth, the Celestial Church and Infernal Cult. All swarmed his mind and his lips curled into a bright smile.
“Very well. It’s time we leave. Selene, rejoice, we’re going to your birthplace.”
Konrad stated with his eyes opening wide, and stretched out his hands, causing seemingly endless force to ripple throughout the Chthonian Realm’s billions of light years!
That force stemming from the principle of Infiniteness coalesced in the Jade Dynasty’s sky to rip a hundred meters tall space gash into the atmosphere.
From that gash, dreadful turbulences and maelstroms rippled. But with a wave of Konrad’s hand, all subsided!
With another wave of his hand, Yvonne, Else, Verena, Helmut, Heide, Elia, and the entirety of the imperial family landed beside him alongside the Chthonian Legions and his two other Devil Bodies. The majority appeared alarmed by that dreadful Realm Gash. But the knowledgeable few immediately understood the meaning.
“I will now integrate the Chthonian Realm with my heart and leave for the Higher Realms. But initially, to avoid exposure we will have to tread with caution. Nehal will become our vanguard and we shall pose as Maras.”
Konrad began, and having already been briefed with the Devil’s plans, Nehal merely nodded in approval. Being a woman able to adapt to unexpected circumstances, she’d quickly come to terms with the damnation she would help unleash on the Celestial Realm. Naturally, Konrad’s rod made the choice simple.
Understandably, this operation requires some discretion. Divine Consorts and below shall unite in the Valkyrie and front Mara blood.
Verena will remain with me alongside Selene and Heide. The legions and other troops will stand within the Chthonian Realm and come out when I need them to. But Gulistan, Yvonne and Else shall head into the Infernal Realm alongside Elia, Helmut and Krann for a separate mission. I give each of you ladies one State Protector as bodyguard.
You have one mission:
Exterminate Apep and the core members of his house with Nether Laws. You will then use Truth Laws to impersonate his daughters and shift the blame on Urzul to trigger a Realm War among the Infernal Kings.”
Konrad pursued. In the past two centuries, faced with the calamities he unleashed, there was no way the Celestial and Infernal Realm didn’t start preparing for war. Surely, the Realm Wills were lessening their suppression of their children and releasing massive opportunities for them. For the sake of his plans, Konrad couldn’t afford to have the Infernal Realm’s eyes on the Celestial Realm.
Therefore, he planned to use Apep and Urzul, the most secretive and mutually loathing of the Demon Primogens as the source of conflict. Apep held the rank of Archduke in the Northern King, Dolgron’s court. Of course, as one of the twelve Demon Primogens, he largely remained independent.
Of the twelve, Apep undoubtedly had the most children and descendants. In fact, most Serpent Demons, Fiends and Beasts were somehow related to him. Calling him the Great Serpent Ancestor was no exaggeration. Meanwhile, Serpent Demonesses were among the most popular. For all those reasons, Urzul refrained from all out confrontation.
His death would herald massive chaos within the Infernal Realm and cause a carefully established network of alliances to shove Hell into bloody warfare.
Understanding Konrad’s purpose, the three nodded in approval. The State Protectors, the three Legendary God, Underworld Guardians subdued by Konrad appeared by their side.
Konrad joined his hands, causing black light to wrap them all into two massive orbs. The orbs soared into the sky, crossing the Realm Gash in two dark beams that split in two opposite directions. One for the Celestial Realm, and another one for the Infernal Realm.
The Realm Gash closed behind them, and the entirety of the Chthonian Realm shrank into one light dot to merge with Konrad’s heart as he crossed inter-dimensions to reach the Celestial Realm.
