Guardian Islands.
Bam!
Julius slammed the desk imported from Uranus. It was smashed into powder and was blown away under his heavy breath.
"Are you sure it is not Enigma?" He asked after taking a deep breath.
Charles nodded for the third time.
It all started fifteen minutes ago.
After Varian left, Charles found his communication devices started working.
So he immediately alerted the power houses on the island.
Half of them rushed to the lab and the other half raced to the island's borders to prevent the intruder from escaping.
To their horror, they found nothing.
It was like the other party disappeared out of thin air.
The worst part… the surveillance showed no sign of the other party. Not a trace.
The burning red book that Charles ardently talked about did not appear in the recordings.
No one knew such a thing existed. In fact, the red journal itself was carefully hidden. Only Roxana and Charles knew about it.
They never expected Boo to find it out.
Finally when Charles showed them a burnt red cover, they had no idea if he was being honest or joking.
"Are you sure it's not Charles' prank?" was the common question.
If it was Narciss, they would have written it off as a prank and even played along. But Charles wasn't the type of person to do such a thing.
Even then, no one supported his claims.
On one hand, it would show that they were incompetent and let an intruder into the island.
On the other hand, they would look like a retard to support a claim that went against all the tangible evidence.
Finally, Julius called a level 9 Technocrat.
The Technocrat was an old man who was currently in a city a thousand miles away.
However, as Julius personally deactivated the barrier to the island, his mental sense reached the island and scanned the surveillance.
Everyone, including Charles waited nervously.
Technocrats did not have much combat power in a direct confrontation. But they excelled in controlling everything related to technology.
If a technocrat is given an arsenal of advanced weapons, they could suppress and kill stronger opponents.
With their precision strikes and large area of operation, they were enough to be called a one man army.
But usually, they were the one stop solution for all tech related problems.
"…Sovereign Julius, there is nothing wrong with the surveillance." The old man's voice sounded from a nearby comm.
"…are you sure?" Julius furrowed his brows and he asked with a deep voice.
"A hundred and ten percent sure." The Old Man's tone was respectful but his voice was loud enough for everyone on the scene to hear.
Charles' face paled lightly but he quickly regained his composure.
The guards on the other hand silently glanced at Charles with disdain.
This Young Master of theirs…was he trying to attract attention or something?
Earlier, he even said the guardian islands' protection was not enough for his aunt's resting place.
He even insisted them to guard Roxana's tomb, which was naturally under her lab.
Guard a tomb? That too, of a researcher?
Even the Level 7 guards felt it was too much. Much less the level 8s.
"But I saw it with my own—" Reading everyone's thoughts on their faces, Charles wanted to explain.
"Enough." Julius waved in annoyance. "To my study."
"Just a minu—"
"Now!" Julius' voice turned harsh.
Charles clenched his fist and nodded.
In the blink of an eye, Julius was gone. Taking a deep breath, Charles' legs transformed into that of a wolf's.
With a light kick, he was a few miles into the air and across the island.
Boom!
Kicking his feet in mid air, Charles used the air pressure to propel himself forward before finally reaching the Xander Palace.
The guards let him in without batting an eye and soon, only silence prevailed.
Taking a deep breath, Charles quietly walked in the familiar yet unfamiliar hallways.
Xander Palace, also called as Guardian Palace was a Sovereign level treasure. Its owner was naturally Julius Xander who lived in it.
It was said found by his great-grandfather, Sovereign Alex Xander, in the Earth Ruins. He found it along with the Tower of Trials. He kept the palace and donated the tower.
As Charles climbed the white marbled stairs covered by a luxurious red silk carpet, the golden light from the lanterns burning aura crystals shone down on his confused face.
As he got closer to the study room situated, he noticed the exquisite paintings hung on the smooth walls coated with gold.
Each painting was a master piece in its own right and produced by the best artist of its era.
Every figure in the painting made important contributions to the Xander family.
The paintings started from the first Xander patriarch after Blink all the way to the previous Xander patriarch.
Looking at the old man with sharp eyebrows, but a kind face, Charles paused.
In the intricate painting, his grand father, Ceaser Xander was standing in between Earth and Demon Abyss.
No.
He was standing in front of Earth, protecting it and in the way of Demon Abyss, obstructing it.
Charles eyes flashed and he seemed to see his grandfather fighting the Old Demon King.
Most people forget that it was only 120 years since Abyssals invaded Solar System.
The first 40 years, humans were desperately trying to survive. They had only Level 9s back then.
Perhaps it was arrogance, the Demon Kings and Queens did not attack them with full strength.
They enjoyed the struggle of humans.
Humanity lost all the planetoids, moons and retreated to the planets.
The ashes of cremated corpses formed mountains.
Thirty years!
Humans defended the last of their homes for thirty bitter years!
If not for Heaven's Will suppressing Abyssals powers' on the planets, humanity would have long been exterminated.
Then finally a level 9 human reached the Sovereign state. He also explored the Ruins on Earth and found the artifact—Blink Ring.
He spearheaded the defense and saved Earth. Following his lead, on the remaining seven planets, seven Sovereigns emerged.
They all repelled the Abyssals after another twenty years of prolonged and bloody conflict.
These first generation Sovereigns and their opponent Abyss Kings and Queens died one after another shortly after the war.
Then came the second generation Sovereigns.
Sovereign Ceaser was the brightest of them all.
'And he's killed by his own son.' Charles clenched his fists and took a deep breath.
Dreamer could be lying to him. But…
After knocking twice on the wooden door, he stepped in and saw Julius sitting behind the red gold desk.
Whenever he was called to this room, Charles would be expecting a praise...an acknowledgment.
But now all he did was await his punishment.
However, the words from Julius caught him off guard.
"What did the Dreamer say?"
"Y-You believe me?" Charles asked with wide eyes. He didn't notice it yet, but his voice was shaking and his body was trembling.
"Of course, I do. You aren't the type to joke around." Julius nodded like it was a matter of fact and waved his hand impatiently. "So, what did he say?"
Charles' face stiffened as he recalled the arrogant remarks of the invisible man. The Dreamer.
"Extermination…" Charles repeated with a hoarse voice. "The thousand, two hundred and sixty seven Xander family people alive today…everyone will be killed."
Boom!
"Presumptuous!" Julius slapped his desk and stood up. His slap broke down the precious metal desk to powder.
Charles was hit by a fierce aura that seemed to have no bounds. His face paled and his body hunched as he was thrown back.
Clenching his fist, Charles looked up at Julius' angry figure and continued. "He asked us to be grateful that he is going to spare everyone related to us. Friends, distant relatives, business partners....he said he was kind."
"Audacious! In the 500 year long history, no one dared to even dream of those things." Julius ground his teeth and growled.
Charles wiped the blood flowing down his forehead and said. "…he also said that you killed my grandfather when he returned home with injuries."
Julius' eyes widened and he stomped the ground in rage.
Boom!
The entire castle shook at Julius' stomp.
Charles hit the wall and coughed out blood.
With veins popping on his forehead, he roared. "I would never hurt him."
Realizing he reacted a bit too much, Julius withdrew his aura and flicked a healing potion at Charles.
It dissolved upon contact and visible to the naked eye, his son's injuries started to recover.
"He is too much." Julius said, looking at the cracked walls.
Finally, he rested his gaze on Charles who was just getting up and said. "Dreamer isn't here for the Omega potion. I'm relieved. I'll ask the Secret Realm to change the location soon."
"…I see." Charles said lightly.
The injuries on his body were still painful, but Julius did not even think of apologizing.
Was a single 'sorry' so hard?
Perhaps Dreamer was right.
Such a man…was not qualified to be the guardian of earth. And if he did kill his own father, then he was not even worthy to be a human.
"You may leave." Julius said and pressed a button.
Soon, a few workers entered the room and with the assistance of bots, started repairing the room.
Charles dumbly nodded and left.
Julius looked at Charles' receding back and was lost in his own worries.
'Omega potion…it is the second most important thing in defeating the Abyssals.'
"The first…" Julius muttered and clenched his fist.. "My own strength…once I reach the Celestial Rank, no Abyssal will be alive."
