Chapter 1072: First Encounter (Part 1)

With each new flow of wind, the monsters at the Soaring Chain Islands were finding it harder and harder to breathe.

As the islands became less and less monsters, Valdris and his men sent everyone to the farthest corners to keep them safe. Soon, there was no one left within a radius of dozens of kilometers except Saegar and Kenward sitting next to him in the air.

Even Valdris didn’t bother to join them. He was the strongest monster in these lands after Saegar, but he couldn’t afford to fight against the Earls. It was suicide for him.

Closest to the center were the twenty youths who were chasing Adam, but they were deep underground in the depths of the gorge.

If the three Earls wanted to get to Adam, they couldn’t do it without dealing with Saegar first. He would not allow them to go any further.

“Ready?” Saegar asked, somewhere very far away, three dark dots showed themselves.

Kenward sighed heavily. “Agh… I already told you, I’m not going to get involved in this. You can handle them alone. Three Earls is a serious force, but it’s your job as a leader to defend your lands, isn’t it?”

“Pfffft!” Saegar rolled his eyes. “As if I have any other choice? You’d do the same thing if they came into your territory!”

“Yeah, I can’t let anything disturb the dew trees. But… They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you. You know, if you were a monster of the Free End like me, maybe the Befallen Crown would leave you alone.”

Saegar shook his head.

“How do you envision that? The Free End monster followed by hundreds? I’m not ready to give up everything and become a hermit.”

“Then it’s time to face the consequences. Then again… In our long lives, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

This time, Saegar answered nothing. He folded his hands behind his back with a proud look, waiting for his assassins.

They were Lords, after all, the meeting and formalities came first.

Then… No one forbade them from reaping a bloodbath.

Whooooooooooosh!

With a wind whistle, torrents bent the tall trees when three figures stopped a hundred meters in front of Saegar.

They towered over his lands. With their auras, they could sense the hundreds of weak monsters that lurked at the borders of these colorful, sunny lands.

“Well, well… They just appeared and already upset me.”

A slight sadness flickered in Saegar’s eyes. He looked at Kenex, Serra, and Horon like a teacher who failed to teach his disobedient disciples manners.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Before the three could say anything, a devastating aura erupted from Saegar. A stream of heavy darkness headed upwards, staining the bright blue sky with slowly floating clouds.

As much as they wanted to maintain their arrogant stance, Serra, Kenex, and Horon had to get down one level with Saegar and Kenward.

“Now, come and look me in the eye, you three ignorant youths!” Saegar’s roar erupted like the peals of thunder.

Serra, Kenex, and Horon glanced around as they slowly headed forward.

They came here to kill Saegar, and they were going to do it, but they were not wild beasts. They held out hope that the dialogue might throw light on the details of what was going on.

“You didn’t just come here at the behest of the Befallen Crown to kill me like pathetic mercenary assassins, but you dare to look at my lands from a higher vantage point than me?”

Serra frowned as she waved her hand. “Enough of this shit Saegar. You knew it would come to this sooner or later. You’re not just trying to stay neutral, but you’re sheltering a stellar Phantom on your earth! The one who has a chance of becoming a threat to us – the Lords!”

There was sincerity and resentment in her eyes. She, like most members of the Befallen Crown, like all monsters from weak to strong, saw no way to work with humans.

“Good. Now I see that you’re not just scared kids who blindly follow orders, but…” Saegar muttered. “I’m sorry your master turned out to be so pathetic. You’re willing to kill a True Lord so that another Second Rank Phantom doesn’t appear. Don’t you think that’s stupid?”

Kenex stepped forward, his blue eyes met Saegar’s amber ones without fear.

“You were originally a threat. The Befallen Crown has offered you many times to join us, the monsters who realize that humans are our only problem. But you kept refusing. Now, you’re helping one of them get the Twilight Crystal even though you could kill a K3-Phantom with a wave of your hand.”

“Well, well… three proud Lords, three Earls, and less wisdom than my maids who only know how to cook and water flowers. I’m disappointed.”

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

In a heartbeat, powerful auras erupted from them. Kenex’s was blue and cold, ice crystals floating beside him. Horon couldn’t hold back his smirk as well as his shivering flame aura.

Serra had a calm, bright one, full of nobility and purity.

Saegar did not respond as they did, for among them was another player whose decision could affect so many things.

“What about you, Mr. Kenward?” Serra turned in his direction. “We’d like you to help us kill the traitor, but… given your affiliation with the Free End, we’ll be willing to turn a blind eye if you just stay out of our way.”

Kenward leaned on his arm, sitting on the air like a loose chair.

“Is that an errand from above?”

“Something like that. Our target is Saegar, the Proud Wing, not you. So… What will your decision be?”

With a short sigh, Kenward rose, shook the dust off his knees, and headed towards the temple on the main island.

“As long as you don’t touch my trees, I have no reason to rip out your fearful hearts. Furthermore…” he looked over his shoulder at them. “You want two True Lords to fight against three Lesser Ones? That’s just… embarrassing.”

Kenward waved his hand.

“Good luck with that. It’s the only thing that can help you because, at this level, even the gods would rather remain mere spectators.”