Epecteos
Epecteos was nowhere near as calm as he appeared on the surface.
The danger from Kalin Hewin had never been the man’s personal strength but his political status. He was the youngest of the Violet Mountain Sect’s eighteen elders and, due in part to how weak he was, only having a Rare grade class even at C rank, he had the highest chance of any of the sect’s elders when it came to advancing to B rank.
A normal elder losing to a D rank was a loss of face, and this had been the case when Epecteos beat Kalin roughly a thousand years before, but this time it was different.
Kalin had broken one of the unspoken rules of the universe when he’d risked the destruction of all life on the entire planet in his first attack. Had he won, it wouldn’t be much of an issue. He would just be seen as domineering, and that would actually be favorable toward building the type of reputation he would need to lead the Violet Mountain Sect in the future, as it would make all the forces around the Carium Galaxy Cluster think twice about possibly angering him.
But he had lost, and this would change the narrative. His first attack wouldn’t be seen as domineering, but as a sign of desperation and weakness. And a man with such a reputation could not successfully lead a sect.
Kalin hadn’t just lost face for himself, but for the entire Violet Mountain Sect as a whole, and that was going to cause problems.
Rumble.
Epecteos’s magical senses started going haywire and he turned to look at the teleportation platform where someone radiating B rank power had just arrived, his aura spreading over the entirety of the E rank planet of Toril.
“Why are you holding a sword to the throat of one of my sect’s elders?” The aged and raspy voice emanated from a man standing less than three hundred meters away, and Epecteos felt like he was a small child again, watching a volcano erupt with his father.
The Violet Mountain Lord was neither tall nor short, neither big or skinny, and he looked to be in his late twenties at most, with fiery red and black hair, the dark skin common among the Carium Galaxy Cluster’s humans, and pure red eyes.
But Epecteos could feel the signs in the man’s aura. This was a man like him, approaching the end of his lifespan. And such a man was especially dangerous.
Without hesitating, Epecteos resheathed his sword and bowed. “Your elder wanted to challenge me to a duel and I refused, not wanting to cause problems for my descendant who’s been succeeding under your care. But then he attempted to destroy all life on my planet, so I was forced to fight back.
“Everything was caught on multiple recordings and most nearby powers should have a copy already, if you need proof, including your own.”
Translation, this is a big incident where your side is very much in the wrong, and everyone is already aware of it, so you can’t just kill everyone to make it go away.
“Kalin.” The Violet Mountain Lord turned an angry glare toward his elder. “Is this true?”
Kalin looked from the Violet Mountain Lord, to Epecteos’s bowed head, and then to the many, many weaker cultivators watching and recording them from all around the city, his mind likely slowly coming back to him as his remaining energy fought off the poison still in his soul. “Yes, Sir. I—”
“I don’t care about your reasoning.” The Violet Mountain Lord swiped his hand, a stronger feeling of heat and destruction covering the entire planet. “Return to the sect and ask Elder Haxor to revoke your elder title. Then enter your estate and remain there in self reflection for the next 20,736 years.”
“I—” Kalin was about to say something more, but the Violet Mountain Lord’s glare intensified and he immediately stopped. Then he moved toward the teleportation platform and teleported away.
“Mr. Ka’Dravone, let’s move elsewhere to talk.” The Violet Mountain Lord stepped up into the air and Epecteos reluctantly followed him.
At the same time, he sent a message to Isaiah. “Take Aalam and run home now.”
He’d noticed Aalam arrive as he fought with Kalin, but he hadn’t acknowledged it. And he hadn’t acknowledged Isaiah the entire time he’d been there. From what he knew from asking questions to the Yin Yang Sage through Diana, most B ranks couldn’t see bonds, many A ranks not even having that type of ability. And the only ones that could were generally life element cultivators, something he was very confident the Violet Mountain Lord was not.
Still, while he was confident the Violet Mountain Lord hadn’t noticed the two of them among the couple hundred other E ranks in his capital city, he still wanted them to leave in case anything went wrong.
“You mentioned a descendant in my sect.” The Violet Mountain Lord stopped in the planet’s upper atmosphere, using qi to transmit sound as there wasn’t enough air. “Who?”
“Her name is Sarra Lin’Talic. She is a young E rank who joined quite recently.” Epecteos felt his rapidly beating heart slow down slightly as he realized the Violet Mountain Lord didn’t seem angry with him.
“Ah, the young genius many of my elders favor.” The Violet Mountain Lord nodded and Epecteos felt himself calm down even more.
But then the Violet Mountain Lord snorted and flames of pure destruction spontaneously appeared around him, and Epecteos immediately felt fear again.
“From a report I just received before coming here, she was targeted by assassins. And it can’t be a coincidence Kalin attacked you at the same time.” The Violet Mountain Lord bowed his head ever so slightly toward Epecteos. “She seems to have displaced Kalin’s granddaughter as the sect’s best hope for gaining another C rank lawyer. And by all reports she’s also quite lovely.”
Epecteos bowed to the man again, far more deeply. “Thank you, My Lord.”
“It’s too bad we won’t ever be able to let her advance.”
Epecteos, still in a bowing position, felt his mind stop.
“Were you just a powerful D rank, it wouldn’t be a problem.” The Violet Mountain Lord spoke calmly, not seeming to care much about what he was saying. “Kalin is obviously in the wrong here and his actions have brought shame to the sect.
“Were there better candidates for my successor, I’d probably kill him for his transgressions.
“But that is beside the point. From your aura, you should have advanced in your required Laws, meaning you now meet the minimum conditions for advancing to C rank. Were your descendant to make it to C rank before your death, which seems entirely possible, your chance of advancing would probably even rise to over 12.5%.
“Were you a human, or at least if you had human blood like your descendant, I could try to recruit you.
“But, sadly, you’re not. And I can’t have a jinn C rank in the Carium Galaxy Cluster, especially not one my sect has already gravely mistreated.
“So, I’m afraid you’ll have to die.”
As the Violet Mountain Lord slowly reached out his right hand and touched his index finger to Epecteos’s chest, Epecteos shared his memory of the last few minutes along with his current senses with Isaiah and yelled through their bond, “Hurry up and leave. Then share this with Mila so she can figure out a way to escape.”
Isaiah and Aalam had just reached the teleportation platform, but they weren’t moving, both just standing there and looking up at him, and, with Epecteos’s high Perception, he could see the tears in their eyes.
“Do you have any last words, Mr. Ka’Dravone?”
Epecteos needed to buy more time for Isaiah and Aalam to get away, so his mind rapidly raced, trying to think of something to ask which would help him delay for even just a little bit longer. “What will happen to Sarra after I’m gone?”
“Hmm.” The Violet Mountain Lord sounded contemplative as he tapped the first three fingers of his left hand to his lips. “She seems quite talented, and I’ve yet to have an heir, so I was planning on trying for the next couple hundred years or so. I’ll likely add her to the group of women already prepared. Then I’ll probably kill her.”
It was at that moment Epecteos felt his Territory start to change, the process probably having started right about the time he’d learned he was definitely going to die, and at first he thought the Violet Mountain Lord was doing something. Then, however, he realized his affinities with all Laws were rising.
Aalam was about to do something stupid, and he couldn’t do anything to stop him, or at least nothing constructive.
“Isaiah, take Aalam and run!”
Epecteos then did the only thing he could do. He blazed his own energy like he was about to attack, and then he did nothing as the Violet Mountain Lord burnt him to a crisp.
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Epecteos
Epecteos was nowhere near as calm as he appeared on the surface.
The danger from Kalin Hewin had never been the man’s personal strength but his political status. He was the youngest of the Violet Mountain Sect’s eighteen elders and, due in part to how weak he was, only having a Rare grade class even at C rank, he had the highest chance of any of the sect’s elders when it came to advancing to B rank.
A normal elder losing to a D rank was a loss of face, and this had been the case when Epecteos beat Kalin roughly a thousand years before, but this time it was different.
Kalin had broken one of the unspoken rules of the universe when he’d risked the destruction of all life on the entire planet in his first attack. Had he won, it wouldn’t be much of an issue. He would just be seen as domineering, and that would actually be favorable toward building the type of reputation he would need to lead the Violet Mountain Sect in the future, as it would make all the forces around the Carium Galaxy Cluster think twice about possibly angering him.
But he had lost, and this would change the narrative. His first attack wouldn’t be seen as domineering, but as a sign of desperation and weakness. And a man with such a reputation could not successfully lead a sect.
Kalin hadn’t just lost face for himself, but for the entire Violet Mountain Sect as a whole, and that was going to cause problems.
Rumble.
Epecteos’s magical senses started going haywire and he turned to look at the teleportation platform where someone radiating B rank power had just arrived, his aura spreading over the entirety of the E rank planet of Toril.
“Why are you holding a sword to the throat of one of my sect’s elders?” The aged and raspy voice emanated from a man standing less than three hundred meters away, and Epecteos felt like he was a small child again, watching a volcano erupt with his father.
The Violet Mountain Lord was neither tall nor short, neither big or skinny, and he looked to be in his late twenties at most, with fiery red and black hair, the dark skin common among the Carium Galaxy Cluster’s humans, and pure red eyes.
But Epecteos could feel the signs in the man’s aura. This was a man like him, approaching the end of his lifespan. And such a man was especially dangerous.
Without hesitating, Epecteos resheathed his sword and bowed. “Your elder wanted to challenge me to a duel and I refused, not wanting to cause problems for my descendant who’s been succeeding under your care. But then he attempted to destroy all life on my planet, so I was forced to fight back.
“Everything was caught on multiple recordings and most nearby powers should have a copy already, if you need proof, including your own.”
Translation, this is a big incident where your side is very much in the wrong, and everyone is already aware of it, so you can’t just kill everyone to make it go away.
“Kalin.” The Violet Mountain Lord turned an angry glare toward his elder. “Is this true?”
Kalin looked from the Violet Mountain Lord, to Epecteos’s bowed head, and then to the many, many weaker cultivators watching and recording them from all around the city, his mind likely slowly coming back to him as his remaining energy fought off the poison still in his soul. “Yes, Sir. I—”
“I don’t care about your reasoning.” The Violet Mountain Lord swiped his hand, a stronger feeling of heat and destruction covering the entire planet. “Return to the sect and ask Elder Haxor to revoke your elder title. Then enter your estate and remain there in self reflection for the next 20,736 years.”
“I—” Kalin was about to say something more, but the Violet Mountain Lord’s glare intensified and he immediately stopped. Then he moved toward the teleportation platform and teleported away.
“Mr. Ka’Dravone, let’s move elsewhere to talk.” The Violet Mountain Lord stepped up into the air and Epecteos reluctantly followed him.
At the same time, he sent a message to Isaiah. “Take Aalam and run home now.”
He’d noticed Aalam arrive as he fought with Kalin, but he hadn’t acknowledged it. And he hadn’t acknowledged Isaiah the entire time he’d been there. From what he knew from asking questions to the Yin Yang Sage through Diana, most B ranks couldn’t see bonds, many A ranks not even having that type of ability. And the only ones that could were generally life element cultivators, something he was very confident the Violet Mountain Lord was not.
Still, while he was confident the Violet Mountain Lord hadn’t noticed the two of them among the couple hundred other E ranks in his capital city, he still wanted them to leave in case anything went wrong.
“You mentioned a descendant in my sect.” The Violet Mountain Lord stopped in the planet’s upper atmosphere, using qi to transmit sound as there wasn’t enough air. “Who?”
“Her name is Sarra Lin’Talic. She is a young E rank who joined quite recently.” Epecteos felt his rapidly beating heart slow down slightly as he realized the Violet Mountain Lord didn’t seem angry with him.
“Ah, the young genius many of my elders favor.” The Violet Mountain Lord nodded and Epecteos felt himself calm down even more.
But then the Violet Mountain Lord snorted and flames of pure destruction spontaneously appeared around him, and Epecteos immediately felt fear again.
“From a report I just received before coming here, she was targeted by assassins. And it can’t be a coincidence Kalin attacked you at the same time.” The Violet Mountain Lord bowed his head ever so slightly toward Epecteos. “She seems to have displaced Kalin’s granddaughter as the sect’s best hope for gaining another C rank lawyer. And by all reports she’s also quite lovely.”
Epecteos bowed to the man again, far more deeply. “Thank you, My Lord.”
“It’s too bad we won’t ever be able to let her advance.”
Epecteos, still in a bowing position, felt his mind stop.
“Were you just a powerful D rank, it wouldn’t be a problem.” The Violet Mountain Lord spoke calmly, not seeming to care much about what he was saying. “Kalin is obviously in the wrong here and his actions have brought shame to the sect.
“Were there better candidates for my successor, I’d probably kill him for his transgressions.
“But that is beside the point. From your aura, you should have advanced in your required Laws, meaning you now meet the minimum conditions for advancing to C rank. Were your descendant to make it to C rank before your death, which seems entirely possible, your chance of advancing would probably even rise to over 12.5%.
“Were you a human, or at least if you had human blood like your descendant, I could try to recruit you.
“But, sadly, you’re not. And I can’t have a jinn C rank in the Carium Galaxy Cluster, especially not one my sect has already gravely mistreated.
“So, I’m afraid you’ll have to die.”
As the Violet Mountain Lord slowly reached out his right hand and touched his index finger to Epecteos’s chest, Epecteos shared his memory of the last few minutes along with his current senses with Isaiah and yelled through their bond, “Hurry up and leave. Then share this with Mila so she can figure out a way to escape.”
Isaiah and Aalam had just reached the teleportation platform, but they weren’t moving, both just standing there and looking up at him, and, with Epecteos’s high Perception, he could see the tears in their eyes.
“Do you have any last words, Mr. Ka’Dravone?”
Epecteos needed to buy more time for Isaiah and Aalam to get away, so his mind rapidly raced, trying to think of something to ask which would help him delay for even just a little bit longer. “What will happen to Sarra after I’m gone?”
“Hmm.” The Violet Mountain Lord sounded contemplative as he tapped the first three fingers of his left hand to his lips. “She seems quite talented, and I’ve yet to have an heir, so I was planning on trying for the next couple hundred years or so. I’ll likely add her to the group of women already prepared. Then I’ll probably kill her.”
It was at that moment Epecteos felt his Territory start to change, the process probably having started right about the time he’d learned he was definitely going to die, and at first he thought the Violet Mountain Lord was doing something. Then, however, he realized his affinities with all Laws were rising.
Aalam was about to do something stupid, and he couldn’t do anything to stop him, or at least nothing constructive.
“Isaiah, take Aalam and run!”
Epecteos then did the only thing he could do. He blazed his own energy like he was about to attack, and then he did nothing as the Violet Mountain Lord burnt him to a crisp.
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And a special thank you to Shadow of the Soul King's patrons, who get to read over thirty chapters ahead as well as the work I'm preparing for traditional publishing.
