The moment the three commandments were activated, Jacob felt a peculiar power trying to invade his mind from the platform. However, that power seemed to have entered a bottomless abyss and was unable to find its target.
’Interesting, this almost seems like the Truth Pillar’s power I have encountered in the Unique Plains’ trials...’ Jacob mused as he felt the familiar intent in this power.
Still, he wasn’t afraid of this power at all. ’Well, I’m no longer the same, and this power won’t work on me anymore unless it’s above the realm of a Demi-God. Not to mention the Gluttony Mask also protects my mind from such forces as long as its rank is sufficient.’
Although Jacob was completely fine, this fact wasn’t known by the Dark Grand Duke, the Dark Rose, or anyone who was watching; they all thought that ’Deathless Prince’ was now under the influence of the three commandments.
At that moment, the Dark Grand Duke’s voice rang again, "Who are you?"
Jacob dismissively replied, "Deathless Prince."
A peculiar fluctuation around the Dark Grand Duke, as if surprised by this unexpected answer, because the seat he was sitting on was directly connected to the runic platform where Jacob was standing.
The moment the trail of absolute dark was activated, the Dark Grand Duke became Judge, Jury, and Executioner because he would get direct input from the runic platform.
No one has ever been able to tell a lie while standing there, not to mention that if they lie, their soul will suffer terribly, and the Dark Grand Duke can easily inflict any punishment he wants. Simply put, anyone standing on that platform was under his mercy!
But there was another side to this trial, which was that the Dark Rose was also monitoring it, and if the Dark Grand Duke didn’t make the proper judgment under the rules of the Dark Kingdom, his credibility with the Dark Rose would go down.
As for why he needed to worry about Dark Rose, only the Dark Grand Duke knows, as the highest authority of the Dark Kingdom within the Legendary Plains!
Dark Grand Duke hid his surprise and curiously asked, "If you are the Deathless Prince, why do you take all the resources of the Noxvalis City? You should know those resources belonged to the Dark Kingdom, and you can only take certain parentage annually. Just this offense is enough to get you decades of imprisonment in the Dark Hollow!"
This time, Jacob knew the Dark Hollow was a peculiar space within the Dark Regal Galaxy, which was extremely strange, for anyone who entered this place would be stripped of all of their powers and then experience both physical and spiritual torture without being able to die or lose their consciousness.
However, only the most heinous criminals who had acted against the Dark Kingdom were imprisoned there, and even if the Deathless Prince had taken all the resources of the Novalis City, this offense wasn’t warranted for imprisonment within the Dark Hollow.
This also confirmed Jacob’s suspicion that the Dark Grand Duke had some unpleasant history with the Deathless Prince. As for the exact reason, Jacob really didn’t care.
"I took the resources of the Noxvalis City because..." Jacob paused for a moment before his tone turned sharp and jeering, "...I can!"
Dark Grand Duke, who was closing listening to ’Deathless Prince’ with amusement, was stumped by this unexpected answer, and to make matters worse, the Dark Grand Duke could feel that every word Jacob said, he meant it!
The next moment, a faint trace of killing air surfaced around him as he coldly retorted, "Presumptuous!"
Jacob didn’t even flinch as he suddenly raised an unexpected question, "Where is the Law Essence of Dark? I reckoned it’s with you or somewhere in this place?"
"What..." Dark Grand Duke was about to retort again when he suddenly stopped as his hidden face was suddenly warped by a terrible realization at that moment, ’Wait, how the hell did he speak without me asking first? Is he not under the effect of the three commandments? Impossible!’
"Dark Rose, what is going on? Don’t tell me the Trial of Absolute Dark still isn’t activated?" This time, he sent a soul transmission to Dark Rose through his Soul Star Watch, as only Dark Rose can shed light on this strange turn of events.
Dark Rose’s static voice rang within the Dark Grand Duke’s mind, "The Trial of Absolute Dark is fully activated!"
Dark Grand Duke narrowed his eyes as he coldly said, "Then what is going on? How can he still speak his mind!?"
This time, Dark Rose didn’t reply right away, and after taking a few moments, Dark Rose’s voice rang again, but this time, there was a hint of uncertainty in that mechanical voice, "I can’t find any abnormally..."
Dark Grand Duke was speechless at that moment and wanted to berate when Jacob’s icy voice rang again, "I asked you a question. Where is the Law Essence of Dark?"
For a brief moment, Dark Grand Duke’s aura rippled, betraying the faintest unease as he deeply looked at the Deathless Prince and something about him standing upon the Trial Platform, his stillness, his indifference, that absolute composure even under suppression, was wrong.
There was no fear, no anxiety, and not even the faintest tremor in his soul fluctuation.
At that moment, the Dark Grand Duke’s cold eyes, hidden beneath the veil of shadow, flickered, ’He isn’t even trembling under the Commandments’ pressure...not even the real Deathless Prince could stand that calmly before me. Just... what is this thing?’
For the first time in ages, he felt something unfamiliar—disquiet. But it lasted only a moment.
He exhaled slowly, his killing intent coiling through the space like smoke, ’It doesn’t matter what you are. I’ll end it before something unexpected happens.’
Then, in a tone colder than the space itself, he declared, "The Trial of Absolute Dark has reached its verdict."
The runic platform beneath Jacob began to shift—its symbols glowing a deeper shade of gray until they turned pitch black, seeping malevolent energy into the air.
"By the authority of the Dark Throne, I, the Dark Grand Duke, invoke the Third Commandment of Execution!"
A thunderous hum shook the coliseum as Dark energy cascaded down like molten night from the ceiling, and the runic platform began to transform.
The silvery barrier surrounding Jacob hardened into jagged pillars of crystallized shadow, and the entire formation rearranged into a circular array of deathly sigils.
Each rune represented the Law of Obliteration—a secret execution method designed to erase even a soul totem, leaving behind nothing.
"Deathless Prince or whoever you are," the Dark Grand Duke’s voice boomed, carrying judgment like divine decree, "You stand accused of impersonating a Dark Prince, murdering the true Deathless Prince, and desecrating the authority of the Dark Kingdom!"
"Verdict—GUILTY!"
"Sentence—SOUL ERASURE!"
The words struck like thunder across the space, and immediately, the platform erupted in a storm of dark energy.
Rivers of condensed Law Power surged upward, twisting together into a colossal execution sigil above Jacob’s head.
It pulsed once—then began to descend, its edges gleaming with annihilating brilliance.
The ground beneath Jacob cracked and splintered as tendrils of black lightning clawed upward, latching onto his form.
The Trial Platform itself had become the Execution Ground, and its purpose was absolute—erasure beyond death.
The Grand Duke watched coldly from his throne, his aura towering like an abyssal god as he raised his hand, "Dark Commandment—Execute!"