After Victor signed the contract, Arkanis gave him a knowing smile and said,
It’s called ‘Rebirth.’
We couldn’t allow that.”
Victor listened intently, noticing the anger in Arkanis’s voice. But there was something more beneath the surface, something Victor hadn’t expected… jealousy. ‘Are they… envious of the Phoenixes?’ Victor wondered. He knew Arkanis would never admit it openly, but the reason for eliminating the Phoenixes had to be rooted in more than just survival. It was fear, and perhaps, a deep-seated inferiority.
The Phoenixes had a power the Dragons could never touch.
“If they could come back to life,” Victor asked, curiosity gnawing at him, “what’s the point in killing them? If they’re going to be reborn, wouldn’t they just rise again after being killed?”
Arkanis let out a low chuckle, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, “You think a power like that comes without any limits? Do you really believe such an extraordinary ability could be flawless?” His tone was almost mocking, as if he found Victor’s question amusing in its simplicity.
Nothing came without a cost.
Victor’s frown deepened, “What did you do to them? How did you deal with the ones who had the pure bloodline?”
They call him the ‘Origin,’ and he was furious about the Phoenixes’ massacre.”
Victor raised an eyebrow, “The Origin Emperor?” he muttered under his breath.
The throne room seemed to grow colder as Arkanis’s fury simmered beneath the surface. It took him a moment to compose himself before he spoke again, “I understand that what our ancestors did was wrong. The massacre, the fear, the jealousy… But do we still deserve to suffer for it after thousands of years? Is it fair that we remain cursed for what our forefathers did?”
Victor remained silent.
“The missing ring,” Arkanis continued, his eyes narrowing, “The Emperor hid it away somewhere, and we’ve been searching for it ever since. We’ve hunted down anyone connected to the Origin Emperor’s lineage… until now.” His gaze shifted to Victor, his expression hardening with a sense of finality, “Now… The only missing piece now is the bloodline of the Origin Emperor himself. That is the key to activating the system and breaking our curse.”
“I will tell that… but I still don’t have any information about the Origin Emperor… Most of what you’ve just told me, I already knew.” Victor said with a tired expression.
Arkanis frowned, his disappointment evident. “I don’t know what else you were hoping to learn. What I’ve told you is all that I know… or at least, it’s all that my father passed down to me.”
“I see…” Victor nodded thoughtfully. “Speaking of your father… I heard he was killed by a Phoenix a thousand years ago?”
Arkanis’s lips twitched, a brief flash of anger crossing his face, “Yes,” he replied through gritted teeth, “it was a duel between them…” His expression darkened as fury began to simmer beneath the surface. “She only won because of the curse! If it weren’t for that, my father would have killed her a thousand times over!”
Victor nodded, carefully observing Arkanis’s reaction. “And then she died at the summit, right?”
“Yeah,” Arkanis’s expression shifted to one of pride, his chest puffing slightly. “It only proved that she was unworthy to hold the empire. She couldn’t even survive the challenges of the summit.”
Victor frowned, a question forming in his mind. “Do you know who built the summit?” he asked, his tone curious.
“Wait!” Victor interrupted, a sly smile creeping onto his face. “There’s still one thing you haven’t told me…”
Arkanis raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what would that be?”
Victor stepped closer, his eyes locked on Arkanis’s shimmering horns, “If those horns are supposed to suck out your lifespan… why are you still looking so young?”
Arkanis flinched a subtle twitch that didn’t escape Victor’s notice. It was the confirmation Victor needed to solidify his suspicions.
Something was off… Something Arkanis were hiding… And everything seemed to lead back to the Origin Emperor…. but who was he?
Was he a phoenix lineage or something else?
Victor’s eyes fixed on the test tube, intrigued by the golden substance. He was about to ask more when Arkanis suddenly slipped the tube back into his pouch, preventing him from getting a closer look. “It’s a rare element found deep within the heart of our Empire,” Arkanis continued, “I need to take a dose of this every day to keep my life prolonged.”
“I see…” Victor nodded again, his curiosity growing. “What’s in it? What’s the composition?” he asked, but Arkanis shook his head.
“I’ve told you what I know about the Origin Emperor, and now…” Arkanis’s voice hardened. “It’s your turn.”
Victor softly nodded, ‘Yeah… I can’t probe him too much right now,’ he thought before raising his head and saying with calm confidence, “That person is… here.”
Arkanis frowned, not understanding. “You? What are you talking about? The throne already rejected yo–”
Victor smiled and spread his arms wide. “My friend… Aether!” he announced, his grin widening. “I’ll bring him to you, but in return, I want that liquid.”
Victor cut him off smoothly, “Let me assure you… I’ll make sure Sovereign personally protects him. No one will be able to lay a hand on him.”
Arkanis hesitated, his jaw clenched as he weighed his options. Finally, he gritted his teeth and snarled, “F-Fine!” In a swift motion, he tossed the vial toward Victor.
Arkanis watched Victor walk away, his eyes narrowing, the muscles in his jaw twitching with barely restrained fury. But slowly, a wicked smirk spread across his face.
“Once I have him in my hands…” Arkanis muttered darkly to himself, “No one is leaving this Empire… Lowborn fool. He really believes he can outsmart me. I can’t believe how naive he is… Hah! Lowborns will always be lowborns.” His chuckle grew into a sinister laugh. “Does he even realize how much it cost us to hunt down just one descendant of the Origin Emperor? And now, it feels like I’m getting him for free! Hahaha!” Arkanis’s laughter echoed through the chamber.
