"You should take in a deep breath, Aaron," the child advised calmly, as if speaking to an old friend.
But the warning was met with futility. Aaron unleashed a devastating blast of terra ignis straight at the child.
The flames tore through the air with terrifying speed.
The child dodged it again, nimble and untouched.
Realizing his opponent was too quick on his feet, Aaron imposed a fixed movement path on the child, forcing him to only move forward.
The child could no longer dodge freely. His path had been locked in place.
"Tch. This is one of my favorites," the child said, his tone still mocking. "If you destroy it, forget about seeing any of your wives ever again."
His words struck Aaron like a hammer. The attack froze an inch from the child's face.
The slightest delay in decision, and the blow would have landed.
"What are you talking about?" Aaron asked coldly, his voice low and dangerous.
"You know what I mean, Aaron. I at least believe you are smarter than that."
"Your fear is right," the child continued, his smile widening.
"It was all a trap. Devouring the Primordial realm helped me gain access to the sanctuary for a little moment."
"Consider it like a Trojan, and you will understand what I mean."
"My wives. Where are they?" Aaron demanded, skipping past the child's riddles and zeroing in on the only thing that truly mattered, the whereabouts of his wives.
"They are safe. And under my protection," the child replied smoothly.
"Give them back!"
"Relax. I intend to. But first, we have to make a deal," the child informed him.
"What deal?" Aaron asked, his patience wearing thin.
"Quite a simple deal. Kill Chen Mo. You have two months to reach the origin rank and kill Chen Mo. Just do that within the stipulated time, Aaron, and your wives will be free," the child explained.
"Now then. I guess I'll take my leave," the child muttered.
He disappeared without another word.
Aaron watched the spot where the child had stood, unable to make a single move. He couldn't.
Aegon had won this round pletely.
"Always one step behind him. Always one step behind him!" Aaron roared, his voice echoing through every corner of the empty space around him.
His eyes looked hollow and defeated, the fire in them dimmed by the weight of helplessness.
"Aaron. What's wrong?" Aetherion asked, noticing the deep turmoil etched across Aaron's face.
"Everything is fine," Aaron replied, his tone flat.
"I just confirmed a knowledge I already knew before."
He reached out with his senses once more, searching for his sanctuary.
This time, the connection returned, faint but present.
"I will be right back. And then I will fulfill the end of the bargain," Aaron muttered.
He stepped into the sanctuary without another word.
Within the origin galaxy of the sanctuary, Aaron immediately noticed the cold, heavy silence that permeated everywhere.
The usual vibrant energy was gone.
His citizens stood quiet and downcast, their faces shadowed with worry and sorrow.
"What happened?" Aaron asked, appearing directly inside his courtroom.
"Aaron…" Isobel called out, her face filled with deep concern.
"Alice, Rose, and Blue Star. They… they…"
"I know," Aaron said, cutting her off gently.
"I will get them back. Just tell me what happened."
Minutes back...
The exact moment Aaron finished devouring the entire Primordial realm, a hidden system Aegon had planted long ago pinged in his mind.
"Hah. He bit the bait," Aegon murmured, a slow, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
The Primordial realm had never been anything more than a giant trap designed specifically for Aaron.
Every detail — from its creation as a so-called prison for the Transcendents to its carefully layered restrictions — had been built with one goal in mind: the day Aaron would be tempted to consume it whole.
Aegon had secretly embedded a second function deep inside the realm. The moment it was fully devoured, it would temporarily sever Aaron's connection to his sanctuary. That single, elegant detail showcased the frightening brilliance of the mystic brain — the ability to plan an event that might not happen for years, with no visible proof it would ever occur, simply by connecting countless unrelated threads.
Aegon sent one of his rook pieces into the sanctuary, the piece he now controlled for this brief window.
The rook appeared without warning, teleporting straight into the very heart of the sanctuary.
"Who the hell are you?" Michael demanded, the first to spot the intruder.
**Boom!**
Michael's body was sent flying backward. His head was caught in a vice-like grip by the attacker before he could even react.
"Michael!" Isobel screamed, rushing toward the intruder with raw panic in her voice.
She summoned corrosive blood in the shape of a spear and hurled it forward with desperate speed.
But the attacker moved like an experienced dancer, twisting and weaving around every spear with effortless grace. In the next heartbeat, he closed the distance and reached Isobel.
"You—"
Isobel tried to raise her hand in defense, but it was severed cleanly in one swift motion. Then her neck was seized in an iron hold.
"You… I'm…"
**Snap.**
Her neck was twisted with brutal force. Her body went limp as blood sprayed across the floor.
"You really are getting on my nerves!" Leo roared, charging the attacker with gale winds propelling him forward.
He summoned a massive tempest storm and hurled it straight at the intruder.
The attacker simply stretched out one hand, stopping the howling tempest in mid-air. With calm indifference, he crushed the storm apart before reaching for Leo.
He gripped Leo tightly, crushing bones with his bare hands. Leo roared in agony, but there was nothing he could do. He accepted death as it came.
After killing Leo, the attacker turned his attention toward the courtroom where Aaron's wives should be. Without any further fanfare, he stepped inside.
"You really have the nerve to e into my court and create a mess, don't you?" Retribution asked coldly, his eyes locked on the intruder with burning anger.
Retribution formed a spike of terra laced with his own blood and hurled it forward with lethal intent.
"Not today," the attacker replied calmly, dodging the attack with ease.
Using his temporary control over the sanctuary, he forced Retribution to his knees. Then he placed a hand on Retribution's head, causing it to explode into a fine mist of blood.
"What do you think you are doing?" Blue Star demanded, her eyes turning a deep, glowing blue as she began resonating with the abilities of everyone around her.
"e with me peacefully and avoid bloodshed," the attacker advised the three wives now standing together.
"You already caused bloodshed," Alice replied, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.
"There is no 'peacefully' anymore."
"Oh, there is," the attacker said, his tone almost gentle.
"I have temporary control over the sanctuary. I can just as easily remove the immortality everyone here possesses and go on a killing spree. That is what bloodshed means. Or you can e with me peacefully and avoid it entirely."
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