814 Tell me?
Not long ago, within an enormous two-room house that loomed in the midst of an endless sea of darkness, a familiar figure tore through the void and arrived.
Azazeal breathed in the darkness. Inside this enigmatic space, the air was thick with shadows, illuminated only by mesmerizing purple and red particles swirling around.
He took a step forward. The house was utterly desolate, dominated only by a large throne encrusted with crimson gems that loomed majestically in the center of one room, while a shadowy, foreboding bed rested silently in another.
His eyes glowed omnioulsy in the darkness as he glanced to his left, his vision piercing through the walls and gazing straight at the bed where his true body lay. He blinked and appeared before it. It radiated a faint purple glow and was taller than his false body. He looked to his left, and another of his false body was crouching in the distance.
"What are you looking at?"
It asked, and he tilted his head.
"Why are you back empty-handed again?"
The other body stood up.
"I couldn't find any Celestial spirits in the second realm you sealed off to get rid of those old supreme ranks in the past. If you go to that place to confirm, destroy it."
With that, it melted into purple particles that flowed into the body lying on the bed.
Azazeal vanished and ascended to sit on the throne in the other room, gazing silently into the eerie darkness. He had created this separate space solely with the assistance of many natural laws, and no one could enter without his explicit permission.
He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the armrests of the throne. Multiple images flashed in his mind, but none pleased him, as they all led to a single scenario.
With a sigh, he disappeared, only to reappear in another dark place. The flower on his collarbone glowed as he summoned the shadow generals. They followed him of their own accord to grow stronger, but they weren't entirely useless. That's why he never interfered with whatever they did and even granted them power to create chaos.
In no time, the space before him cracked open, and three familiar figures stepped out of the void to kneel before him.
Ceano, Enthrall, and Damien spoke out simultaneously, their voices trembling and sweat glistening on their foreheads.
"Master!"
Azazeal bent down to sit on his heels, meeting their gaze with a look of surprise.
"Only 1st, 2nd, and 4th? I knew Kyle would kill 5th since that man got on his nerves. When did he kill 3rd?"
The three shadow generals could only swallow hard. Azazeal didn't even bother using their names, referring to them only by numbers that conveyed their status. To rub salt in their wounds, he knew that bastard Kyle's name! They had no idea how Azazeal was connected to Kyle, but he was clearly inquiring about Will's death. They couldn't afford to waste time making him angry. Damien replied quickly.
"He died... when he and Ceano went to observe the Gladiator Arena. We believed that some Celestial spirits were present in the Lost Treasure Tomb, so they set out to forcefully enter the place to confirm it, but then... everything went awry."
Azazeal hummed. He already knew when and how 5th and 3rd died. He felt it when the flowers on their bodies faded.
However, he wanted the shadow generals to say it themselves to make them realize that they could die at any time and in any place, even if they are strong.
"I consumed the Celestial spirits in that place before it was destroyed entirely. This confirms that your instinct was correct."
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"You were all granted immense authority and power, yet tell me, from the time you began following me until now, how many Celestial spirits have you all found?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing his words, the faces of the three shadow generals paled. Azazeal asked again, this time in a low, deep, dark voice.
"Tell me?"
Ceano opened his mouth.
"... none."
The three shut their eyes tightly in fear, but nothing happened. Azazeal stood up with his hands behind his back.
"Look? It's easy to answer truthfully. But you all did one good thing in my absence. You opened the Realm of the Dead. I will reward you for that by adding one more petal to the dark flowers on your bodies."
The faces of the three shadow generals brightened; finally, something good was happening after such a long wait!
The dark five-petaled flowers on the shadow generals' bodies, unlike those of others, were created by Azazeal himself.
These flowers granted them the power to control all those with dark flowers of fewer petals on their bodies if they desired. They also bestowed upon them great dark power, which made them stronger. This was the best reward they could receive!
Many of the races that followed them lacked these flowers on their bodies, as they willingly pursued them for a chance to acquire powerful treasures. However, many did possess these flowers. They obtained them by immersing themselves in the dark ponds created by the first shadow general on the dark side planets, using the power of the five-petal dark flower on his body. The stronger a person is, the more petals the dark flower on their body possesses.
Signing dark contracts, forged with array symbols and dark power of the flowers on the shadow generals' bodies, is the second method to sell one's soul and acquire a dark flower on one's body.
However, unlike those who immerse themselves in the ponds and can only be controlled by the shadow generals, those who sign dark contracts can be controlled by anyone with a flower on their body.
Summoning newfound courage, Ceano lowered his head further and spoke up.
"Master, we have chosen additional individuals to fill the positions of the 3rd and 5th who perished. You simply need to grant them the authority and power."
Azazeal hummed, seemingly indifferent, and waved his hand dismissively.
"No need. Just go to the underground treasury I established in the past and take some treasures to give them."
He paused for a moment and said something that surprised the three.
"Tell me the current state of the universe. What's happening? I can sense too much blood, which is grating on my nerves."
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_Orange_
Creator's Thought