Chapter 713: You asked the wrong question
In the center of a vast hall, a grand tablet was displayed, surrounded by chairs. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as numerous attendees filled the seats, their conversations creating a low hum. At the head of the table sat James, exuding an aura of composure and confidence.
Beside him, Odiak occupied the adjacent chair, his presence equally formidable.
The duo had just returned to the Forsaken Island, but Elizabeth had already departed with Ronan and Wesley, leaving Sophia to share all the information with them.
Flanking the two men were several other supreme ranks from various other races.
The ancient decor of the hall, with its soaring ceiling, provided a fitting backdrop for this momentous assembly, which had occurred in this hall many times before.
However, for the first time, everyone in the hall appeared genuinely satisfied.
James softly rapped his knuckles on the table to capture everyone's attention, then turned his gaze toward Sophia.
"What are the chances that the name currently occupying the top position in the supreme projection belongs to someone who is on our side?"
Silence enveloped the hall as everyone contemplated James's words.
Thanks to the information provided by Sophia, they had discovered that Alec's name now occupied the third spot on the projection, directly below Azazeal. But they couldn't find out who held the top position, as that name remained invisible.
All the individuals in the hall were quite excited, as not only Alec's name but also the names of all his friends were seen in the top spots on the projection.
Odiak smiled at James, a glimmer of disbelief and joy shining in his eyes.
"You asked the wrong question; you should be asking what the chances are that the top name on the projection belongs to Kyle."
Immediately, everyone in the hall erupted into a heated debate. However, the air was thick with uncertainty. They acknowledged Kyle's power, but no one among them could confidently assert that he was the one whose name held the top position.
Moreover, instead of joining the war like his friends, Kyle had disappeared yet again, and his whereabouts remained a mystery.
Realizing that the discussion would never end if it continued like this, James raised his hand to silence everyone.
"It doesn't matter. We will find out whose name had occupied the top position in the projection, as that person will soon rise to become the strongest. However, Odiak has made a valid point, as Kyle's name wasn't seen anywhere on the projection."
Everyone nodded in agreement. After all, even though they had never seen Kyle, they recognized his power from the feat he had accomplished, and it was unlikely that the projection would overlook his name.
James let out a sigh, feeling somewhat disheartened that his own name had also dropped to a lower position. Shaking his head, he redirected the conversation.
"Let's shift our focus to the dark side. The shadow generals are definitely scheming something; otherwise, why would Enthrall attack the Tree of Fate? Aside from Old Hal and Elizabeth, who are absent, all the elders here should head to the battlefield."
He glanced at Odiak.
"You should look after Alec and his companions. Assess their special talents and assign different people to help them refine those skills. Also, if possible, ask the youngsters to use aliases instead of their real names for now, as the dark side will come after them if they discover that they are the ones whose names have taken the top spots in the projection." The old dwarf nodded.
"I understand. I will ensure the young ones reach at least the end of the Transcendent rank before entering the battlefield, as the stronger they are, the better their chances of survival. But what about you?"
James chuckled and cracked his knuckles, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"I received information from one of the spies we have planted in the dark side. They have located Onicuss's whereabouts."
He rose from his chair, causing everyone around him to stand as well.
"I'm heading to the planet where Onicuss has been spotted to take him out. The fifth shadow general slipped away just as I was about to finish him off last time; I believe it's finally time to end him for good. And you all should return to your duties."
Everyone told him to stay safe before disappearing in different directions. Some went to check the last two seals holding the realm of the dead, while others made their way to the battlefield.
In the end, only Odiak remained in the hall. The old dwarf stood up and walked toward the exit of the hall, which had gone unused since everyone else had simply vanished to reach their destinations.
He opened the door and cleared his throat, wearing a solemn expression.
"Eavesdropping on others is bad."
Nine, who had been leaning against the wall beside the door and listening to everything discussed in the room, flinched at the sound of the voice. His soul nearly leaped out of his body when he turned around only to see the old dwarf staring at him.
He was shocked that the old dwarf had sensed him, especially since he was clearly using a powerful artifact he found in the lost treasure tomb to conceal himself! But he quickly regained his composure.
Nine's eyes darted around as he scratched his head with a confused expression.
"Actually, I took the wrong route and forgot the way back. I guess I came from the right side. I apologize; I should leave-!"
His words trailed off, and he let out a chuckle when the dwarf grabbed him from behind. Odiak's eyes narrowed.
"Kid, do you truly believe the weak artifact you were using concealed you from me? It may have hidden your presence from those at the trancendent rank, but many in the hall sensed you the instant you arrived here. Do you really think I would believe you?"
Nine flashed him a sheepish smile. Alright, since he had already been discovered, there was no need to pretend. Regardless, given the dwarf's demeanor and the conversation he had overheard, he was confident he wouldn't face any punishment.
"Ah... I just wanted to know why so many powerful people were gathering in this building, so
I followed behind."
Odiak's eyebrow twitched when he saw the cheeky smile on the young man's face.
A touch of speechlessness crossed his expression, but then he let out a sigh.
"Then I take it you heard everything? Well, that's actually a good thing. It means I don't need
to explain anything at all."
Nine nodded at him. Of course, he did; his hearing was quite sharp.
Odiak slapped his back, and they began walking toward the building exit.
The old dwarf glanced back at the young man trailing behind him.
"Anyway, do you know about me? This is our first official meeting, but I am from the same
planet as you."
Nine hurriedly caught up to him.
"I do. Not just me, everyone else with me knows you too. You're Odiak, right? Actually, Zron told us about you. He vanished a while ago, so I don't know where he is now."
He paused for a moment.
"But I want to ask if you've seen Yon and Susan? Those two old men were with us on the elven planet, but they left first, saying they were going to find you and James. We are here, but I
don't see them anywhere."
Odiak rolled the familiar names on his tongue with furrowed brows. It took him a few
moments to remember the people Nine was referring to, and when he finally did, his eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Yon and Susan are still alive? And Zron, that thief as well? Wait... wait, you are telling me that the they were with you, but then they all vanished? And two of them even claimed they were going to find me and James?"
Nine nodded simply since that was the truth, but then Odiak burst into laughter. The old dwarf calmed down after a while and shook his head with a faint smile.
"Susan and Yon, as the guardians of the blue planet, indeed respect me and James. However,
I'm sure they wouldn't come here because James was the one who burdened them with responsibilities. The duo would first seek to grow stronger before coming to give us a piece of their minds... and as for Zron, I'm certain he would never come here. He likes stealing more
than anything."
Nine let out an 'oh'. He had a feeling something was wrong when Yon and Susan left so suddenly, even though the duo could have actually joined them to come here.
Suddenly, Odiak gazed into his eyes with a solemn look, and Nine's eyes widened when he heard the old dwarf's next words.
"Your eyes... they are quite powerful. But don't use their power here, as many desire the
vision your gaze possesses. Be wary of everyone here as well. You never know who might have secretly aligned themselves with the dark side. We've uncovered numerous spies among us, yet we can't foresee who may betray us at any moment."