I floated silently, my mind buzzing with thoughts about the rune. And, selfish as it sounded, the first thing I thought was how I could use it if it fell into my hands.
It didn’t matter whether it was law-based or resource-based. I already had the Dawn Core, which was a kind of all-in-one.
It housed my laws, produced energy, even contained landmasses inside, and was connected directly to my talent.
If the Genesis Rune could be merged with that, the possibilities were insane. And if not, I could use it directly on the generator core. And if even that didn’t work, well... I could just keep it and use it whenever I needed.
The thought alone made my chest tighten with excitement.
"Now, will you tell me where you heard it?" Dante’s voice cut into my thoughts.
"Oh, from the Ferans on this planet," I said. "According to one of them, it’s a Genesis Rune, at the location marked on the map. The Feran delegation coming here includes a Transcendent called the Butcher as well."
"Vaelix Ranthor," Dante said, his voice sharp with surprise.
I raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You know him?"
"Yes," Dante replied, his tone carrying worry.
"Old man, who the hell are you to know so much?" I asked.
"That’s not important. What matters is that, Vaelix is an old monster but someone like you. He has a talent. And it’s not a weak one," he said.
My eyes narrowed. I wasn’t worried just because a Transcendent was coming, I was worried about a Transcendent with a talent. That could change everything.
"What’s his talent?" I asked.
"He earned the title ’Butcher’ because of it. He can sacrifice his own blood or others’ to multiply his strength. There’s a rumor that if he sacrifices enough, he can jump an entire rank," Dante said, his voice serious, almost heavy with warning.
"And if they’re sending such a heavy hitter, then the chances that the Genesis Rune is really here are pretty high, don’t you think?" I said.
Dante stayed quiet for a few seconds before his voice echoed in my mind again. "Damn right it is. Hahahaha! Kid, let’s wrap this up fast, we need to head for that location." His tone carried real excitement this time.
A grin formed on my face. I reached out through the link to my summons and felt them closing in on the capital. Another thirty seconds passed before I heard Silver’s sharp cry pierce the clouds.
Space rippled beside me, and Knight stepped out of it with five unconscious Grandmasters tangled in his shadow tendrils. A few seconds later, Lyrate appeared, landing softly beside me, carrying four more captives wrapped in vines of glowing Essence.
BOOM!
A loud shockwave tore through the air as Ragnar arrived, his aura shaking the clouds, dragging four unconscious Grandmasters behind him like trophies. And finally, the wind howled, and Silver descended gracefully from above, wind cracking around his wings as he dropped five more Grandmasters at my feet.
We all looked at each other in silence for a few seconds before I burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Well, would you look at that. I’m actually impressed."
Silver chuckled. "Me too."
Knight scoffed. "I’m not. They were idiots."
All three of us turned toward Ragnar and Lyrate. They exchanged glances but stayed quiet, pretending to ignore us.
I shook my head, still smiling. "Alright, enough talk. Let’s go meet their emperor."
With that, I began descending, the frozen Grandmasters floating behind me as my summons followed. The massive dome of Essence surrounding the capital came into view, humming faintly with power.
While talking with Dante earlier, I had already spread my perception across the entire capital, tracing every Essence line that fed the shield. I raised my hand and whispered, "Break."
Whoosh!
In an instant, the flow of Essence feeding the dome was cut off. The energy lines bent toward me, drawn in by my will. The capital’s defenses flared, but it was too late. Every single particle of Essence within the barrier stopped moving, frozen under my command.
The sky above the capital dimmed as the last trace of the Essence dome flickered and died. A hush fell over the sprawling white palace below, a megalith carved from stone so pure it reflected the storm gathering above.
Then I let go.
BOOM!!
My will surged outward, shaking the heavens themselves.
The air rippled with force as violet lightning streaked across the sky, crawling through the dark clouds that had begun swirling above the city.
I tapped into the Law of Elemental Convergence - fire, wind, ice, lightning, and earth bending and twisting in unison, forming a chaotic symphony that roared across the capital.
The wind howled like a living beast.
Space trembled under the pressure of my Essence, and even the sun seemed to dim as my presence expanded, smothering the entire capital in an overwhelming wave of power.
Below, terrified cries echoed as citizens fell to their knees, unable to breathe under the weight that pressed upon them.
I floated high above, surrounded by my summons—Knight wrapped in shadow, Silver hovering with wind crackling across his wings, Lyrate calm yet terrifying with vines of pure energy curling around her arms, and Ragnar, whose aura burned hot like a raging sun.
Behind us, the unconscious bodies of the captured Grandmasters floated silently, shimmering like statues of ice and despair.
The grand white palace quivered as a surge of Essence burst from within.
In the next instant, a group of figures shot out, piercing through. Leading them was Odin Hatake, the Emperor of Sukra, his royal armor glowing with golden light. The other Grandmasters followed, forming a wide arc around him as they glared up at me with confusion and fury.
"Who are you?" Odin’s voice boomed through the storm. "How dare you invade my wor—"
He didn’t finish.
Ragnar vanished from my side in a flash of blue light.
Before Odin could even blink, Ragnar appeared in front of him, his fist drawn back, glowing an intense shade of deep blue as his laws surged through it.
BOOM!!
His punch connected squarely with Odin’s abdomen. The air exploded outward in a deafening shockwave, tearing through the clouds and cracking the palace towers below.
Odin’s body folded around Ragnar’s fist, blood spraying from his mouth before he was sent hurtling down like a meteor.
BOOM!!
The ground shook as Odin smashed through the palace dome, tearing through marble and steel before slamming into the throne hall with a thunderous impact that shattered the floor. Dust and debris exploded into the air, leaving a massive crater where the emperor had landed.
Ragnar exhaled slowly and cracked his knuckles, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Ahh... I feel a little better now."
The other Grandmasters froze in midair, staring at him in disbelief. The sound of thunder rolled across the sky again, and violet lightning flashed above us, illuminating their horrified faces.
I descended slowly, my gaze sweeping across them as the storm roared louder. "Your emperor and world will live if you are willing to talk."