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SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
Chapter 198: Good bye
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C198: Good bye
Chapter 198: Good bye
"Geisha, listen."
"Using my name, you must want everyone you love to die, kid?" Geisha stated, unleashing even more pressure while having a sinister smile.
Aren kept up the front, keeping his head up, face calm, despite the turmoil that he was facing inside. He drew a deep breath.
"I'll offer myself to you, but you have to do something for me first," he said.
Geisha frowned. "Do something for you? You really believe you stand in the position to negotiate? Don't make me angry," Geisha warned.
Aren felt the pressure rising, but he kept himself strong. He looked at Geisha. "Inside me currently, I have set an ability that will destroy my soul in fractions of a second, and destroy this body as well. If you don't hear my condition, this body will be gone, and you can never have it," Aren stated.
"Aren," Aiden called out in worry, but Aren ignored him, focusing on Geisha.
Geisha looked at Aren, that same smile still resting on his face.
"And how do I know what you're saying is true?" Geisha asked calmly. "You could be bluffing in order to force me to give you what you want."
He began descending slowly from the air.
"That being said," Geisha continued, landing right in front of Aren, "I can move fast enough to stop you before you self-destruct."
The pressure around him intensified.
Aren subconsciously took a step back.
Geisha's eyes immediately dropped to Aren's feet.
A smirk curved on his lips before he looked back up at Aren.
Aren forced himself to steady his breathing. He kept his expression calm.
"But you're not sure how I would do it," Aren replied evenly. "You're not sure what method I'd use. It could be something unstoppable once triggered."
He held Geisha's gaze.
"So are you willing to take that risk?"
In reality, Aren had nothing prepared. No suicide method. No hidden trump card. He didn't want to die.
But right now, the only thing that mattered was getting the others out safely.
Even if he tried to escape alone, their presence here would only become leverage against him.
Geisha stared at him for a long moment.
Then he spoke.
"Fine. I'll humor you. What do you want?"
Internally, Aren released a breath of relief.
His bluff had worked.
"I want you to allow my friends to leave without touching a single one of them," Aren said steadily. "Help them break a hole through the barrier. Once they're outside, you can do whatever you want with me."
Behind him, Aiden and the others tried to interrupt, but Aren ignored them.
"Are you willing to take the deal?" he asked.
Geisha frowned slightly.
"And what if," Geisha said slowly, "I deal with you first, then chase them afterward?"
"You won't," Aren replied immediately.
Geisha's brow lifted.
"I may not know much about dragons," Aren continued, "but I know one thing. Dragons stand on their pride, no matter what kind of dragon they are. Pride matters to you."
He didn't waver.
"You won't give your word and then go back on it."
Silence hung in the air.
Then Geisha smiled.
"Fine."
He folded his arms.
"I'm not accepting because I fear your threat. I could stop you no matter what you attempt."
His eyes gleamed.
"But since you are willing to offer yourself for their lives, I'll honor that. I'll let them go."
Aren turned toward the group.
"You guys need to leave," he said firmly.
They stared at him in disbelief.
"You can't be serious," Aiden said.
Aren shook his head. "Now isn't the time for you to start this, Aiden. I need all of you to trust my decision and leave now.
We don't stand the slightest chance against a being like Geisha," Aren said.
"I'm right here, you know," Geisha said.
Zero looked at Aren. She frowned, but then gathered herself. "Let's go," she said.
"Zero?" Aiden called out to her, shocked that Zero would say that.
"What? He is trying to get us out alive. You want to throw away his efforts?" she said, looking right at Aiden. She knew that Aiden would rather die than leave, so she winked at him, signaling to him.
Aiden froze. He wanted to speak, but then went silent. He took a few steps away. "Fine, do what you want," he said and started walking off.
Kira stared at him for a few solid seconds. She had a lot to say, but she turned around and left as well. Soon, everyone was walking off.
"Hmmm, you sacrifice your life for them, yet they walk away like you were nothing to them," Geisha said.
"Don't talk to me. Simply open the barrier and let them out, then you can have me."
Geisha smiled, then pointed his finger at the barrier. A terrifying force ripped through the air and slammed into the barrier, ripping it open by force.
The group walked toward it, leaving Aren there.
Aren turned to face Geisha, head down. "You've done your part," he said.
"Indeed, and now time for you to do your part, kid," Geisha said. He walked forward and stood in front of Aren.
"If you had lived long enough, I'm sure your strength would have surpassed that War God, and that's another reason why I can't allow you to keep growing. You possess too great a potential.
Instead, I'll take your body and use it. Isn't that better? You'll become part of something greater very soon, and through my eyes, you'll watch the whole world burn," Geisha explained.
"Spare me the crap, just do what you have to," Aren said.
"Hmm, fine kid. Goodbye," Geisha replied. He lifted his hand, moving it to place on Aren's shoulder. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Aren looked at that hand like it was the end of him.
The hand finally reached the shoulder, but it went through, passing through the body like it wasn't there.
"What?" Geisha was stunned, eyes widened
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SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
Chapter 199: Storm
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C199: Storm
Chapter 199: Storm
It didn't take a second for Geisha to realize that something had gone wrong, and Aren had done something. He frowned.
"Illusion," he called out, then he felt it, a powerful gathering of soul energy behind him.
He turned around only to see Aren in the air, coming with a slash with the dagger of Jotnar.
"Flo, thank you. I stand a chance because of you." He said his appreciation to Flo, but she was already knocked out cold after creating an illusion that was powerful enough to trick Geisha.
A few moments ago, Aren was genuinely lost for what to do. He had thought of so many ways to get out of this, but none worked in his mind. He knew this would most definitely be the end.
Then Flo gave him a solution, a way out. As a guardian spirit with the ability of illusions, she was powerful enough to create massive illusions that could trick towns and cities, but when it came to Geisha, not only would she have to trick his eyes, but every other sense, down to his instinct and soul.
To pull this off, she had to use the riskiest part of her abilities. She had to twist reality. This was no simple illusion, no, she had to actually change what was real into what wasn't.
Doing this, and ensuring that Geisha couldn't see through it, completely exhausted her, throwing her into a state of coma after she was done.
Aren held all gratitude for her. If it wasn't for her, this would have been for sure the end.
Geisha looked at Aren, filled with rage. He roared, "You think anything that you can do will harm me?" He bellowed, the air shaking.
"No, not one bit, and that's why you aren't my target." Aren said with a calm expression, then his face shifted into full concentration.
"Huh? What the hell are you blabbering about?"
"This," Aren replied. "Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He let out a thunderous roar as he slashed with the dagger of Jotnar, putting every single bit of soul energy that he could muster into that attack.
Instantly, the blade ripped the space right behind Geisha, a rip that spanned for fifty meters instantly. Buildings instantly got uprooted from a distance and started getting pulled into the tear in space.
Geisha turned around, he felt the pull of the tear. He looked at it, he finally understood the plan Aren had. That tear instantly caused multiple tears to start forming all around, more tears ripping through the space, instantly causing a spatial collapse of insane magnitude.
This created a spatial storm, rips forming, things getting pulled into the void, distortions happening, everything was getting twisted.
Even for someone like Geisha, this would be an issue, especially at his current strength.
He looked up at Aren. "This is suicide, you'll die as well," Geisha stated.
"Yeah, but I'd have caused you a great deal of harm when it's done," Aren said.
"You brat," Geisha said in anger and tried to lunge, but his movements caused even more spatial distortions, cracks and more, one even happening right on his body.
Slash!
It cut through his skin, blood gushed out, but the wound healed almost instantly.
"There is no escaping now," Aren said, but the next moment he also felt a very powerful pull, one so strong he wouldn't be able to get away from. It was coming from one of the cracks.
"Shit," Aren cursed. He instantly tried to summon a shadow that would go ahead and then he would switch with, but the tears and cracks consumed them too.
While he was standing there, Geisha decided that he would still get Aren regardless, so he took his first step and a hundred massive cuts appeared all over his body instantly. They healed instantly, but another set replaced them.
Aren looked at this in shock. Was Geisha that serious to get him? Fear started creeping in on Aren, but he gritted his teeth and resolved his mind.
"I'll let you have me." He said. His tendrils burst out of the ground, but they were ripped apart by the space. Still he refused, using more and more until two finally wrapped around him and shot him into the air.
A crazy amount of slashes tore through Aren's body. He was instantly losing tons of blood, and to make matters worse, Geisha shot after him, also getting ripped up badly, far worse than what Aren was facing, but he ignored it all, eyes on Aren.
Aren could sense him coming, so he clenched his jaw, ignored the pain, turned in the air and locked eyes with Geisha, and then unleashed another slash with the dagger.
That was the final blow. Space collapsed into itself as all the rips and cracks connected, creating a space storm entangled with the void, and right at the center was Geisha.
Aren thought he had done it. 'I'll make it out,' he said in his mind, only for him to feel the pull of the storm like a black hole.
"Shit, shit, shit." He cursed as he started thinking of ways to break free, but nothing was working and he was getting pulled back into it.
'Shit, so nothing works now. I can't stop it, no ground to use my tendrils, I lack the soul energy to use the hammer, I've lost all momentum.
I just have to use all my defense and tank it, maybe I survive.'
He shut his eyes, preparing for the worst, but then a hand grabbed him. He opened his eyes, only to see Aiden there, along with Zero and Elena. Zero created a platform for them to stand on, Elena was doing her best to counter the gravity of the storm, and Aiden, he reached in and grabbed Aren.
"What's up bro, we came to check on you," Aiden said.
"I don't think I've ever been this happy to see someone before," Aren said.
"Save that for when you take me out," Aiden said with a chuckle and pulled Aren onto the platform.
Elena immediately fought the gravity more, while Zero pushed them away from it.
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SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
Chapter 200: Bye for now
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C200: Bye for now
Chapter 200: Bye for now
The group rushed out of the barrier. They made it out, but right then, Aren's Shadow Sense picked something up. Geisha had made it out of the storm, and every wound on his body was healed up. He walked out with a steady pace. He wasn't running, yet he was imposing.
"He is coming," Aren said.
They all turned around and saw Geisha walking toward them. But before they could worry about him, a massive magical circle formed in the sky, and then it slowly changed into a massive portal.
Geisha, along with everyone, looked up at the sky. From the portal, a massive floating ship came out. It was the first time Aren and the others had seen this contraption.
The ship was crafted like a normal wooden ship, but the sails were on the top and sides as well, allowing it to fly somehow.
From the ship, several guards from War God City jumped off using ropes, covered in their dark armor from head to toe.
Over two hundred of them had arrived. Then finally, three fighters leapt down: a red-haired man who looked young despite being in his middle ages. His eyes were sharp as a knife. He wore a black coat that reached his ankles, trousers, and boots.
He had a certain powerful air to him. His presence alone was already clashing with that of Geisha.
Then another man leaped down, draped in a full mage robe. White flowing hair, he looked to be at least in his nineties, yet he wasn't bent. He stood straight and with a lot of swag.
Finally, the last person to jump off was Legion. He landed on the ground, fully decked in black armor.
Aren was stunned to see Legion here. How did he leave his city and arrive here?
Aren could heave a sigh of relief, though. The sight of these people gave him hope. Could they do anything against Geisha? He didn't know for sure, but he was certain that he would survive this now.
Geisha looked at the three figures that had appeared. A slight smile formed on his face.
"And what do we have here?" he said, continuing to approach with steady steps.
He walked through the barrier, heading toward the plain.
The old man with white hair turned to the guards who had come.
"Head into the city. Save all the awakened who are still alive," he instructed.
Instantly, the guards launched forward, rushing past Geisha. He did not react to their presence at all. His eyes remained fixed on the three before him.
The red-haired man stepped forward.
He looked directly at Geisha and spoke calmly.
"It seems the old dragon has awakened."
"Oh?" Geisha responded, amused. "It seems you were expecting me."
"Well," the man replied, "it is difficult to truly kill a being like you. Even the War God said that at some point, we might see you again."
Geisha raised a brow.
"Judging from the way you speak, you must have experienced my fight with the War God somehow. You speak as if you were there."
"In a way, I was. I was a young awakened then."
Geisha studied him carefully.
"And you still look so young after living so long."
Then his smile widened.
"Wait... I know who you are. You're from one of those accursed royal families, aren't you?"
The red-haired man remained silent.
"From that hair color... you're from that bloody Blade family," Geisha continued. "One of the most despicable royal families."
Blade frowned.
"Do not speak of my family so casually, you monster."
"Monster? Me?" Geisha laughed softly. "If anyone here deserves that title, it would be your family and the rest of those hypocritical royals."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And where is your old man? Why did he not come himself? Do you truly believe you alone can stop me?"
His eyes sharpened.
"You're strong. I can see that. But you are not strong enough. And you know it."
Blade nodded slightly.
"You're right. Alone, I am not strong enough."
He suddenly drew out a massive greatsword. The metal was black, and the blade was covered in red engravings that pulsed faintly.
The moment Geisha saw it, his expression changed.
"Dragon Slayer Blade..." Geisha muttered.
"Indeed. The same sword the War God used against you," Blade said. "He entrusted it to the royal families. It has been kept within the Blade family ever since."
He tightened his grip.
"When we heard that you had awakened, I was given this and sent here immediately."
Geisha's smile returned, though his eyes were colder now.
"Even with that blade... what makes you believe you can stop me?"
"I don't," Blade answered honestly. "Not if you were at your prime. If you were at full strength, I would not even be able to bring out half of this sword's true power against you."
He took a step forward.
"But you are not at full strength. You have just awakened. You are weakened."
He gestured slightly.
"With me, the Patriarch of the White Family, and Legion, one of our Adventurer Guild Masters, we can subdue you."
His voice turned firm.
"You can either retreat now... or take the risk and see where it leads."
Geisha frowned deeply.
He hated being commanded. Hated being cornered.
But he understood the situation.
He had not yet recovered even thirty percent of his true power.
If they attacked together, they could suppress him.
"Such disobedience..." Geisha clicked his tongue.
"I'll leave for now."
His gaze darkened.
"But I will return. And next time, I will bring with me an army of monsters far greater than before."
He glanced upward briefly.
"Perhaps you should tell your precious War God to return from wherever he is... and prepare to face me again."
Then his eyes shifted past them.
They landed on Aren.
"Kid," Geisha said calmly, "keep my body safe."
Before anyone could react, massive dragon wings burst from his back.
With one powerful flap,
BOOM.
A sonic explosion tore through the air as he shot into the sky and vanished instantly.
Silence followed.
[End of WarGod arc part one, see you in part two]
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SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
Chapter 201: Meeting
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C201: Meeting
Chapter 201: Meeting
Aren and the group sat inside a nice lounge. He lay on a long couch staring at the white ceiling. The room scented of wood candles, helping them be calm.
Each of them was now in completely casual clothes. Aren had on a massive black hoodie and tracksuit pants.
Sitting at his feet was Athena. She was leaned back into the couch, her eyes shut as well. While on the ground close to him was Zero, who was fiddling with a fidget spinner she found.
Aiden was on another chair reading a swordsmanship manual that he got before coming here, and Kira was on a bean bag, eyes shut like she was sleeping.
They had been called here early in the morning, the day after everything had gone down. They all wanted and needed a lot of rest, yet this morning, they all got visits from guards that brought them here.
"Arghhh, could they come and do what they want already? We've been here for half an hour," Aiden said. He didn't take his eyes away from the book even as he spoke.
No one responded, but everyone agreed quietly. They wanted to be out of here.
Knock knock.
Finally, someone arrived. They opened the door after knocking and walked in.
It was Legion and Arith. They both walked in and shut the door behind them.
"Hey guys," Arith greeted with a smile.
Everyone that had their eyes shut opened them, and those that had been looking at other stuff finally focused.
"Guild Master Legion," Aiden spoke.
"Yeah, it's me," Legion said with a smile and proceeded to sit down. Arith also walked to a chair, plopping into it and throwing her legs into the air.
Aren didn't even bother sitting up. He just waved at Legion and closed his eyes again.
"It's good to see all of you are alive and good," Legion said.
"Alive, yes. Good, no. We haven't even had the time to rest," Kira spoke up. She had a completely exhausted tone to her voice.
"Question, are you the one that asked for us to be brought here?" Aiden spoke.
"No, not me. The people above me," Legion said. He then leaned forward, his face carrying a serious expression.
"With the awakening of Geisha, things have changed," Legion began.
"Geisha is not just any calamity monster. He is the calamity monster."
Everyone listened carefully.
"It is known that the God's Domain is a near-infinite plane, filled with near-infinite monsters and entities that humanity has yet to even discover. But within the known parts of the God's Domain, Geisha is one of the strongest beings," Legion explained.
Aiden raised his hand slightly.
"Wait. I have a question."
Legion looked at him. "What is it?"
"You said within the known parts of the God's Domain. Does that mean that outside the known parts, there might be beings stronger than him?"
Legion nodded.
"Indeed. When you hear 'near-infinite,' it means there are near-infinite possibilities of what might exist. You might even encounter beings on the level of gods within the God's Domain. No one truly knows."
He paused briefly.
"But back to Geisha."
His tone grew heavier.
"He is a being that could only be fought by someone of the War God's caliber. And the War God's caliber is not something you reach simply by surpassing level 100."
His eyes sharpened.
"It is becoming a god amongst men. That is the level required to stand against Geisha."
He continued calmly.
"The only individuals currently capable of standing on that level are the Council that controls the Sacred Palace, the Patriarchs of the Ten Royal Families, and the leaders of the Floating Palace and the Black Dragon Sect. Those are the kinds of people who could confront Geisha directly."
Silence settled in the room.
"And now he has returned," Legion said. "And he will go into hiding to recover his full strength. When that happens, it could mean another massive war."
His gaze darkened.
"And at a time when the Trials have suddenly become harder, humanity cannot afford a war with Geisha.
The Trials are becoming more difficult. That alone tells us something."
He folded his arms.
"It means the gods are planning something. We don't know what. But we know it isn't good."
He exhaled slowly.
"And while we are facing the Trials, which are already a threat to humanity's survival, we cannot divert resources to fight Geisha at the same time."
"It's not like we have much of a choice," Arith spoke up.
Legion gave a small nod.
"Sadly, we don't."
He looked around the room.
"Geisha will return. That much is certain. That brings us to the next issue."
His gaze locked directly onto Aren.
"He told you to keep his body safe. What does that mean?" Legion asked seriously. "The people who summoned you here are going to question you about that. And if I'm going to help you avoid whatever political ambush is coming next, I need every detail you have."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Aren opened his eyes. He took a deep breath. "He wants a new body," he said plainly.
Legion paused when he heard that. There were a few seconds of silence.
"Geisha, the calamity dragon, wants your body to use as his next body," Legion said. Then he looked up, worry evident on his face. "I don't see a way out of this. You have basically become the main reason for Geisha to return.
This throws you dead center into everything that will be happening concerning Geisha," Legion said.
"What does that mean?" Aiden asked.
"It's a blessing and a curse. I'd say curse more than blessing, because Aren doesn't like being tied down, but now, the biggest leash might just get thrown over your neck.
The issue with it is I don't even see a way out of it for you, because you are so connected to the issue that killing you would be an issue and keeping you would be an issue."
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SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
Chapter 202: Help me
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C202: Help me
Chapter 202: Help me
Aren finally sat up. "Why would killing me be an issue?" he asked.
"Well, for a few reasons," Legion replied. "One, you are important to Geisha, and being alive is a level of leverage as long as you can be controlled. Also, there will be a group that wants to keep you alive, because if Geisha saw potential in you, that means you really do have potential, and killing you would be a complete waste.
Also, Geisha might be enraged by your death, and it would lead to an even greater war since the humans killed the being he wanted to use for his new body.
Either way, there are very few benefits to your death. Ultimately, you'll probably be alive, but thrown into a pot of issues," Legion finished explaining.
Aren frowned. He didn't like what this was sounding like at all.
"What if I just left the War God City?" Aren asked.
"That's basically impossible," Legion replied. "Not only would it be impossible for you to leave the city, even if you did, you'd be found easily. The War God City has that much influence over humanity as a whole. It is pointless to try and escape," he said.
"I guess I already knew that," Aren replied. "I just wanted to confirm. Still, regardless of how the situation has developed, I don't plan on giving my full freedom to anybody else," Aren stated.
Legion replied, "I really like your craving to be your own person, but in situations like this, it is hard to do what we want, especially when people are stronger than us. In this life, freedom can only come through being strong. The stronger you are, the more free you are."
"As for us, we do not have that kind of freedom," Legion stated. "So you have very limited options on what to do. You can either choose to go completely by what they say, go against them, or involve a little bit of trickery," he said.
The moment he mentioned trickery, Aren raised his brow. "What are you talking about?"
Legion smiled. "In whatever you're doing concerning the people of the War God City, do your best to comply while having your own backup plans in your mind. That way, you're not limited to what they create for you. Rather, you have your own escape routes and methods already planned out, which will allow you to keep yourself one step ahead of the situation no matter what," Legion explained.
"I see," Aren replied.
He then looked at everyone in the room.
"The War God Tournament is still going to continue. And despite the awakening of Geisha, the first stage was still considered a success because a good number of people were properly eliminated. They don't want people to know about the return of Geisha, so they're trying to keep it under wraps. And on that note, that is why they are still carrying out the tournament, to ensure that it looks like everything is going well, proper, and planned," Legion explained.
"You lot are going to perform, but more eyes are going to be on you now that a few people know you survived an encounter with Geisha. They'll want to see your skill set and find ways to get in contact with you. I would say avoid this, but it's basically impossible. So for your own good, like I have told you, Aren, compete in the competition and always make sure you have a proper and solid plan at the back of your mind for whatever situation may arise," Legion concluded.
Legion then got up, making a move to leave, but then he stopped and looked at them.
"Oh, and I just realized, for you to compete properly in the remaining part of the War God Tournament, you'll need a proper sponsor for certain tools and materials that will be used. If you don't have a sponsor, you'll be left to scrap by with whatever you can find. So I, from the Adventurer's Guild in Raven, will be acting as your sponsor for the time being," Legion said.
"Every resource for training and whatever you need will be coming from us, so you don't have to worry about that."
Just as he was finishing, two knocks came from the door. Then the door opened, revealing the red-haired man as well as the white-haired old man. They both walked in calmly, and instantly the atmosphere of the room changed, becoming far heavier in an instant.
Seeing Legion there, the red-haired Blade family member raised a brow, and Legion spoke first.
"Nice to see you both. I was just talking with them. Since all of them are from the Adventurer's Guild, I thought I'd chat with them a little before you arrived and keep them company," Legion said.
"Oh? Is that so?" the red-haired man replied. "Then that's fine."
Legion gave him a nod and turned toward the door. Arith also stood up and followed behind him. The two of them left the room.
But before the red-haired man could speak to Aren and his group, Aren got up to his feet.
"Sorry, you'll have to excuse me. There's something I need to tell Sir Legion," Aren said.
He didn't wait for permission. He walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out, spotting Legion and Arith walking away down the hallway.
The moment they sensed his presence behind them, they stopped and turned around.
"Aren," Legion said.
Aren walked closer. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he spoke.
"Someone is coming after Athena. They desperately want her dead. I don't have the resources or the means to find out who it is. Can you help me?"
He had wrestled with himself over whether to ask that question. He didn't know who the enemy was, and speaking carelessly to the wrong person could put Athena in even greater danger. But to some extent, he felt he could trust Legion. Legion had nothing to gain from harming Athena, and he didn't seem like the type to move in the shadows for petty reasons.
So after battling himself for long enough, he finally asked.
"I see," Legion replied.
"I can't make any promises, kid, but I'll do my best. I'll find out whoever or whatever is behind that attack. But in the meantime, you all need to keep her safe."
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Chapter 203: Audacity
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C203: Audacity
Chapter 203: Audacity
Back inside the room, Aren and the others were seated and facing the two imposing figures that had walked in. The pressure was real and heavy, but everyone kept a calm expression. They didn't want to look shaken; that could possibly lead to them being used.
"Sorry that all of you had to be brought here so early." The Patriarch of the White family spoke. He stepped forward, hand on his chest. "My name is William White, the current Patriarch of the White family, one of the biggest families inside War God City," he stated, explaining who he was.
The moment Aren heard that name, he frowned. After all, this was the family that had sent someone to eliminate him at the start of everything. Sadly, there was very little that he could do about it for now, so he watched in silence, looking at the man with no particular emotion in his eyes. But he scanned him from head to toe, ensuring that he didn't forget his face.
"I am Kai Blade, from the Blade Family, one of the ten Royal families." The man with red hair said as he stepped forward. "I'd assume you already know some details about the Royal families, so I'm not going to go into details."
As he spoke, his eyes scanned around the room, but oddly lingered on two figures, Aren and Athena. Aren noticed how he stared at Athena for a while. Ever since the happenings in Geisha Ruins, he had decided to start training his shadow sense to be turned on most of the time, so when Kai looked, he instantly knew.
"The reason why we have called you here is simple. War God City, as well as every organization, doesn't want the information of Geisha being widespread. We have chalked what happened in the ruins up to a soul energy leak," Kai said.
Instantly, the attention of everyone was piqued, because this was a concept that was foreign to most of them, well, except Zero. She seemed to know about this.
Seeing that their interest was piqued, Kai decided to explain.
"Deep under the God's Domain is a flowing stream of soul energy, pure, unchanged, and very toxic soul energy, unlike the one you gained from the system. This one is extremely dangerous, and if a geyser of it should accidentally open, it would cause mutations to those around, deaths, and lots more.
So with the Geisha Ruins already being a very fragmented place, the story of the soul energy checks out for the most part," he explained. He paused for a few seconds, allowing the new information to sink into them, then he continued.
"That being said, we don't plan to simply hush you. Rewards are set in place for you," he stated.
"Rewards, or payment for silence?" Zero asked.
"Both," he replied without hesitation, smiling at them. "After you receive your rewards, your tournament continues as usual, and most of you won't have to see us or have anything to do with this again." As he said that line, his eyes drifted over to Aren.
"Not all of you, though," he said. "Geisha was interested in you." He looked directly at Aren.
"What do you plan to do with him?" Kira asked, worry showing in her eyes. As much as she and Aren broke up, she still deeply cared for him. In fact, a part of her longed for him.
"Well, nothing for now, especially with the tournament on. He'll still participate, but every action he does will be under supervision. In fact, as of yesterday till now, we have already gathered all information about him, which is why we also know that he is Shadow, the strongest new awakened," Kai said that, and immediately Aren looked at him.
"What?" he asked.
Kai smiled. "No need to act like you don't know. We already know you are, and denying any of it won't help you. We have solid proof," he said, speaking with certainty.
"We don't plan to make this public information, as the name Shadow will pull a lot of attention and cause issues. Everyone wants their hands on the next big thing.
Personally, I believe you have potential, but I also believe that most of your feats are luck and right timing. All that ends during the first phases of the trials. After that, it changes. Leveling becomes harder, resources get scarcer, and a lot of people might and will probably overtake you, especially those with better backing.
I heard that you chose the Adventurer Guild. Well, that's one very good way to waste potential," he said in a cold and detached tone. "Still, regardless, your current importance is very high, to the trials and to the Geisha issue.
There are very few people that know you are Shadow, and they are people that you don't have to worry about for now, the same way a few people know you are Geisha's new target.
All in all, Aren, you'll work with us calmly, and everything will go properly." Kai finished speaking.
"What about my freedom?" Aren suddenly asked. He didn't even bother looking up.
"Freedom? Hmm, sadly, you'll have to live under watch and control for now."
"Not happening," Aren replied. He looked up at Kai. "I may not be strong enough, but I sure as hell know that I'll not allow myself to be controlled, and that's it. When I faced Geisha, I didn't back down and allow him to walk over me, so please, what makes you believe that I'll do that now?" His tone grew serious.
"If you try to keep me bound, I promise I'll escape one day, and if I do, I'll come back, and I'll ensure that everyone does. The only way you'll tie me up is through death, and you won't do that as well," Aren stated.
Kai and William frowned when they heard the audacity from Aren. William was about to lash out, but Kai held him back and then smiled at Aren. "I guess I misjudged you. You might just have what it takes to rise to the top." After saying that, he turned to leave, but not without glancing at Athena one last time.
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SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
Chapter 204: A Visit
SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows
C204: A Visit
Chapter 204: A Visit
After their meeting, rooms were made available for them to stay in for the duration of the tournament. It was a lounge inside one of the floating cubes around the black castle, and it had rooms for everyone.
The moment they got in, Aren headed for a room. He walked in, it was pretty decent. A sturdy bed covered in sheets sat there, the walls were painted cream, no design whatsoever.
The soft scent of herbs reached his nose, the air felt cool, their comfort had definitely been taken into consideration. There was a wardrobe standing there at the side.
He walked to that first and opened it, and inside were some simple unisex clothes, hoodies and trousers, as well as a black body armour that seemed to be made of the best materials.
He shut the door and walked to the bed, plopping down on his butt, then he fell backwards into the bed, hands spread apart. He let out a very deep breath.
"System, show me my stat screen." He called out calmly, it had been a long time since he had the opportunity to actually take a look. Not that there was a reason to, since there would be barely any changes available.
[Name: Aren Raze]
[Class: Shadow General]
[Type: Shadow]
[Tier: SSS]
[Level: 30]
[Soul Fragments: 16,000/20,000]
[Soul Energy: 50,000]
[Strength: 56]
[Speed: 58]
[Defense: 52]
[Constitution: 54]
[Intelligence: 53]
Just as he thought, it was similar, except that he seemed to have gathered a lot of soul fragments. He was pretty close to actually levelling up, that was good.
"Alright, that out of the way." He pushed himself off the bed into a sitting position and then he stood up. He walked to the door and shut it, making sure that it was locked.
"Alright, now to check something I haven't checked in a while."
With only a thought, he was instantly pulled into his subspace. As he opened his eyes, he was met with changes that he had not expected.
Inside now were streams of energy, flowing with patterns. There was still tons of chaos, but beyond that, most energy forms now had a lot of laws in them.
It looked like a beautiful light show, he couldn't help but stare. That wasn't all, he looked at the chair that he had placed at the center, and the chair was now surrounded by several heavy and dense layers of energy. If someone touched that, their hands would for sure be destroyed.
Aren floated over there. He passed through the energy without issues, it parted for him. Sitting down on the chair, he overlooked everything that had come to be, and that was when he spotted something, a mass of energy forming in the distance.
It wasn't like the others, it had created a core when the rest were only floating scattered energy.
"What's that? Could it be a star?" he asked himself, propping himself off the chair. He flew that way, and when he arrived, he was amazed. The energy had taken the size of a small town, all of this from Aren's soul energy that it had slowly accumulated.
"Whoa, this is impressive." Aren said, he was shocked to see a star forming. It was still in the birth stages, but it was still something.
"Alright, let me help you and see how far you get." Aren said. Then he unleashed his soul energy. The chair instantly absorbed all of it, and immediately transferred it to the target, the star.
He needed to use the chair because it had become the center. If he did it without using the chair, he would be brute forcing through it, and the effect would be lesser.
Pouring almost all his soul energy, he watched as the star grew bigger, doubling in size in only mere seconds. Its gravity rapidly grew and so did the energy output from it.
By the time that he had finished dumping all his energy into it, the star was now the size of a country, massive and bri