Chapter 555: [A Society of Secrets] [2] [Kingdom]

With a smile, he looked at Arawn like a friend from the past.

"It’s been a while." Samyaza said brightly. "Comrade."

Arawn didn’t say a word, he kept staring at him as if, if he blinked, Samyaza would be gone.

With Samyaza’s presence, he was much more concerned about his interference than the other thirteen demigods combined.

"....You are a clone." Arawn concluded after a long while of deadly silence.

Samyaza just smiled, not accepting or denying his claim.

Just then, Vulas walked forward a step and bowed slightly. "Sir Samyaza."

The others instinctively let him talk as they understood they could die if they interfered.

Samyaza smiled brightly. "Vulas, how have you been?"

"Much better after seeing you." He replied. "But... what is going on?"

"Nothing much." Samyaza replied, glancing back at Arawn. "Just some old friends catching up. I give you my permission. Leave."

As soon as those words came out of his mouth, Arawn created a cell of interlocked Time law that was abundant in his kingdom.

It captured Samyaza in one cell and the others in a different one.

All thirteen members of the council froze in their place, unable to move even an inch of their bodies.

While things were different with Samyaza, he looked around the cell with a curious expression.

"This is impressive! To use the law of time as a jail that can contain all events in place." Samyaza exclaimed, clapping his hands slowly. "You have grown a lot, little Arawn."

"What are you doing here?" Arawn asked, ignoring his compliment.

Samyaza smiled and shook his head. "But you are still too early to match my skills."

Saying so, he closed his eyes and confidently took a step forward. The cell could do nothing as he phased through it.

Arawn instinctively got into a position for a fight, but Samyaza wasn’t done.

He crossed his fingers and brought them forward.

"Come forth."

Arawn turned around and tried his best to flee the scene, but it was already too late.

"My kingdom."

---

The world turned silent for Arawn and before he could understand his predicament, he was falling from the sky.

Arawn tried to fix his body and get back in control, but he could do nothing.

It was only when Samyaza appeared by his side that the "sky" turned into "ground" where he stood.

Arawn drew in deep breaths as he understood how deeply fucked he was right now.

"Don’t worry." Samyaza said, shaking his head. "I did not bring you here to kill you."

’...You could have done that outside as well.’

Arawn wasn’t foolish enough to get entrapped in Samyaza’s carefree personality.

The clouds parted around them as they stood over a beautiful city with buildings taller than five hundred feet.

....It was the same city where Inder had spent his entire childhood.

Arawn and Samyaza landed on the closest building and Arawn became alert of his surroundings.

"An incredible city, isn’t it?" Samyaza asked, his smile never fading. "Ah, it’s been long since I used my own kingdom."

Arawn took in a deep breath, got a hold of himself, and assessed his situation.

’I still have the thirteen demigods trapped in my kingdom.’he thought grimly.’The plan is still on.’

Now the only thing he had to do was keep Samyaza busy.

"It was when I fought Abaddon that I used my kingdom." Samyaza spoke, his voice nostalgic.

"Adam was so close, but by that time I would have much rather been dead than use my kingdom."

Arawn had noticed this habit of all four brothers. They rarely used their kingdoms in any conflict.

It was so uncommon that many believed they didn’t even have one.

Arawn couldn’t stop himself from asking. "Why?"

Samyaza, as if waiting for him to ask, raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

In an instant, a murmur echoed in his ears. He blinked and blood began to leak from his mouth, eyes, and ears.

Arawn clenched his chest when he felt like something was squeezing the blood out of his heart.

Samyaza snapped his fingers once again and the abnormalities vanished.

"Huff... Huff..."

Arawn drew in deep breaths before he stood straight, a wary look in his eyes as he looked at Samyaza.

"What... was that?"

Samyaza turned around and began to walk, forcing Arawn to follow behind.

"That was the breathing of the "Creator God" who is sleeping in my kingdom."

Arawn froze in place, his widened eyes staring at Samyaza’s back in horror.

"He forced a piece of his consciousness into each of our four brothers’ kingdoms, and the more we use it, the more we risk waking him up."

Arawn began to walk again, quickly catching up with him. "Is he still alive?"

"Who knows?" Samyaza replied. "For all I know, it could just be his projection and not his real self."

Arawn didn’t say anything, but he understood the consequences of Apostates using their kingdoms.

"Azrael escaped the torment by killing himself and stealing another body." Samyaza spoke grimly. "Too bad neither I nor Morningstar can use any loophole."

A strange feeling made Arawn frown as he walked, but a little pressure made the feeling go away and now they were in a different place.

It was a beach with warm sunlight making everything before the horizon glow in a golden hue.

Samyaza was still there, sitting on a deck chair while holding a coconut in his hand.

He gestured for Arawn to take the seat beside him, which he reluctantly did.

"People always envy absolute power." He spoke, looking towards the horizon. "Even though they don’t understand the horror and loneliness that comes with it."

"...Why did you bring me here?" Arawn asked, declining his offer for a coconut.

"I just wanted to ask." He said casually. "Do you think the barrier that Azrael created will vanish?"

"...It’s inevitable at this point." Arawn responded after thinking for a few seconds. "The barrier is beyond repair and even gods are pushing for it, including the Primordial Ones."

Samyaza let out a soft mocking chuckle. "They are foolish, aren’t they?"

"Why do you say so?" Arawn probed further, holding onto the conversation.

"That barrier was not something as simple as a line to separate the Divine Kingdom from Lumina."

Samyaza explained as he threw the empty coconut shell away, which vanished the moment it touched the ground.

"Azrael was the smartest for a reason. Using the World Tree as an anchor, he made the barrier to stop the Outer Gods from gaining influence as well, and that included the Creator God."

Arawn frowned as he couldn’t fully understand what he meant.

"Do you... benefit if the barrier ever vanishes?" He asked in a doubtful tone.

Samyaza smiled and leaned back even more comfortably.

"Once the barrier is gone." He spoke. "The Creator God will gain influence over every part of his being, including the Primordial Ones."

Arawn nodded in realization as he finally got the bigger picture.

’If the gods descend back on Lumina, they will be in the Creator God’s radar.’

Right now, the Creator God could only awaken in the body of Samyaza or Morningstar, but once the barrier was gone... no one would be safe.

Of course, Samyaza would benefit the most as the number of bodies for the Creator God would grow significantly.

Arawn turned his head towards the sea once again, only to frown in confusion.

The sun had already set, but the sea was still illuminated with a golden hue.

"The golden thing?" Samyaza said when he noticed his gaze. "It is the blood of the Creator God that ’leaked’ into my kingdom."

Arawn just nodded, but Samyaza softly added.

"When the Creator God awakens, it will rain gold."

’...What is that supposed to mean?’Arawn couldn’t understand him at all.

"Anyway." Samyaza said, sitting up straight. "The reason why I brought you..."

Arawn instinctively straightened his back as he waited in anticipation.

Samyaza smiled and said.

"....Is because I have a proposal for you."