Perhaps 'something tells me' was not the right word to use, since he clearly saw The Omnisoul's state after his transcendence.
And while he could have easily done the job he was assigning to his vassals, the Omnisoul's rejection of his existence was not a matter to be taken lightly.
He had forced his way through, constantly experiencing The Omnisoul's attempts to send him out.
That attempt at ejection would only get stronger the closer he was to the Omnisoul, and forcing it any further could lead to more harm than there already was.
Fortunately, Alexander knew the vassals wouldn't be subjected to the same attempts at ejection — they lacked the true essence of existence, after all.
Of course, there was a workaround. For now, however, he could leave the task to his capable vassals.
They had been on the side for too long. It was time they stepped onto the stage once again.
The expressions of the vassals turned ugly, as they knew how destructive and chaotic those void creatures could be.
Imagining what an army of such monstrosities would unleash on all reality sent shivers down their spines.
Just imagining a universe being destroyed was already more than they could process. The stakes were extremely high.
"Once again, it's a choice I'm leaving to you guys." Alexander reminded them. "Take some time to think things through. I might be giving you absolute power, but those chiefs aren't weak."
The source of his powers had changed. No more was he using void energy as a base to synthesise his essence, and the vassals weren't him either.
But Alexander was in an entirely different league — simply because he was an absolute, a paradoxical entity no 'regular' being could hope to beat.
The vassals nodded in understanding, not expecting anything less.
As the meeting was about to end, Elina raised a concern that some of her subordinates had brought forward.
Well, it wasn't really a major concern as they posed no threat to what Alexander had built, but Alex needed to know.
"What about the recent activities of some of the major families?"
The other vassals who had been exploring the larger universe and were unaware of the situation turned to her with confusion evident in their eyes.
"They pose no trouble at all. Ignore them."
As she suspected, Alexander already knew; his response put a small smile on her beautiful face.
"What's going on?" Mason muttered, glancing between Alexander and the Oracle. "What did those guys do this time?"
Turning her smiling expression to Mason, Elina replied, "Some of the major families are waking up their slumbering powerhouses."
For a moment, Mason tilted his head in confusion. However, his face quickly lit up in realisation, prompting a laugh from him.
Beside him, Zol shook his head, mildly finding the situation funny.
"Slumbering powerhouse?"
Unfortunately, not everyone at the table understood the Oracle's words. Ross looked at the Oracle and then at the amused expressions on the faces of some of the vassals.
"Haven't you ever wondered where the old S-Tier powerhouses go after they disappear from the public space?" Ross turned his head to look at Julia, who was glancing his way with a knowing smile.
"I assume their life force runs out?" Ross answered, though he realised that was not what probably happened.
"Well, not exactly." Alexander took over the explanation, sighing softly as he sat back in his chair. "Before I came along, breaking past the S-Tier was considered a myth… a level beyond the S-Tier was almost impossible.
"While there were those who died of natural causes, some chose to be put in cryogenic sleep, hoping to be awakened when a path was found."
"Yep, the Knight family is no different." Julia added.
"I see…" Ross nodded thoughtfully. However, a few things did not add up during the past events.
Almost as if the others could read his thoughts, Zol chipped in to clear a few things, "Those ancestors don't want to be disturbed unless their families are in danger of extinction."
"That makes sense. But why now?" Ross could not see the point. "Why would these families be awakening their ancestors when Alexander revealed the path forward a long time ago?"
"The short answer is authority," Mason answered the redhead. "The strongest leads the family, and these family heads want a head start before waking the old geezers."
"That is true." Elina chuckled softly. "However, if that were all, it wouldn't need to be mentioned. Those 'old geezers' as you call them, don't understand how a 'little child' rose to such levels of power."
The Oracle glanced at her young lord and smiled mischievously, "They want to see the 'miracle boy' in person."
"Hmph, they're just in denial." Julia snorted and then looked at her beloved. "Remember what I told you about appearances?"
"You don't have to worry, Julia. They'll have to do more than just demand an audience." Turning to look at the Oracle, Alex added. "Tell them the universe they once dominated has a new master now; they have no authority to demand or change anything."
"Yes, Lord Alexander," Elina replied almost too eagerly, a broad smile gracing her features. "I'll make sure they understand the new hierarchy."
"Good, report back to me in two days." Alex stood up at this point, prompting his friends and vassals to do the same.
As Alexander and his friends walked out of the conference chamber, the vassals bowed their heads in respect.
Though Alex had given them time to make their decision, many had already made up their minds. After spending so much time on themselves, they were ready to do something meaningful.
Almost as if they had been employed after being jobless for years. But those years were not in vain as these vassals 'worked' on themselves.
As for the 'old geezers', a few of the vassals had plans to sit with them and 'educate' them before they did something stupid, since their families were unable to do the job.
Alexander might be a gentle soul, but pushing his buttons was never a good idea.
And he had no reason to move… a single one of his vassals was more than enough to handle all of them.
***
True to their words, Lord Zol and friends paid visits to the families whose ancestors were raising a ruckus about the state of things in their universe.
These families had finally gotten what they had always dreamed of achieving once the threat of void creatures and their troubles were dealt with.
They had no reason to come after Alexander and what he had built for the rest of the Universe — all they had to do was stay in their territories and cultivate.
However, beings who once held absolute authority almost always struggled to let go or allow someone else to take precedence over them.
As such, they had trouble accepting the Universal Accord Commission breathing down their necks.
At the very least, they should be holding prominent positions for their role in protecting their universe until the child even came into existence.
It was their efforts that made sure there was an Empire in the first place. Alexander should be paying them his respects.
They had already tried summoning the miracle boy by sending messengers to Earth and Mars, with no success.
Being too proud of their family name and former glory, they found it beneath them to go in person.
The well-timed response from the UAC and visits from the vassals finally drove the point home when those 'old geezers' witnessed what true power could do.
With a wave of the hand, the vassals reminded these families why they had chosen to be vassals to the one they called a 'little child.'
Whatever alliance these families were forming for a united front crumbled before it even took root; they were mentally crushed until their arrogance all but dissipated.
Perhaps they would have listened had their families been more strict in their 're-education'.
Regardless, those lofty ideals about legacy families and what they stood for were redefined the hard way, sending them into closed-door cultivation.
Relics of the past… that was what they were.
Once the old geezers were shown their place and their families reminded why Alexander was the master of their universe, a modicum of calm returned.
After all, most of these families were still laying claim to the vast celestial lands and resources of their chosen galaxies to be worried about anything else.
***
Two days later…
"Tch! Just how much of a cheat are you!!"
Julia bitterly cried as she tried and failed to land a hit on her beloved. Gone were the days when she could hand Alex's ass to him.
But now, every sparring session ended with her overwhelming loss. The annoying part was that Alexander would always tell her there was more to learn from losing — as if he was one to talk.
"Patience, hon. You need to keep your cool."
Alexander effortlessly sidestepped a high kick to his chin and swiftly closed in, appearing behind her. A hand to the back of her head claimed another victory in his name.
With a barely contained sigh of annoyance, Julia turned to face her beloved, the look in her eyes promising vengeance.
However, before she could utter a word, Alexander pulled a fast one on her — he stole a kiss. For a brief moment, Julia was taken aback.
"That's cheating, you know?"
Julia's face lit up, quickly forgetting what she had wanted to say. She wrapped her arms over Alex's neck and leaned in, taking his lips with hers.
The two shared a passionate kiss in the quiet training room. As the seconds went by, Julia became more aggressive, almost like she wanted to devour Alexander whole.
Abruptly, Julia hopped and wrapped her legs around Alexander's waist, prompting him to support her with his hands.
While Alexander waited for the two-day deadline he had given to his vassals, Julia had proposed they spend that time together.
And understanding her need for further assurance after the scare she got from his temporal disappearance, Alex obliged.
As the passion between the two grew in intensity, a well-timed interruption stopped them before they disappeared into the sheets.
[Alex, Lord Zol and the others are ready for you.]