After handing the Marquees over to a group of people capable enough to handle him, Ning found his way to a location on some 50th floor where he was to stay.
He couldn't believe that he was given a place in the tower so high. "Do all new recruits get this, or is it only me?" he wondered.
It had to be only him. After all, he couldn't imagine someone else being given an entire northern wing of the 52nd floor.
The room inside was apparently very big, and only a floor or two higher was where the Supreme's rooms were.
Ning was now considered the 5th most important person in the tower. At least, to the ones that knew about his importance.
To everyone else, he was just a new recruit that Merasi took away.
Ning opened the door to his room and entered. As soon as he was inside, he spun around immediately, ready to fight as someone was already in the room.
"You're finally here," Alexis spoke while sitting on the sofa, looking out into the distant horizon.
"You scared me," Ning said. "When did you return?"
"Just now when you were opening the door," Alexis said. "You've done well in achieving what you have. We might even be able to change the plan now thanks to your new influence."
"Change plans?" Ning asked. "Aren't I still going to have to beat Perry?"
"Not if you can come up with some other methods of helping the world become a better place for those that have never seen it."
"The divide due to Aether has always has lasted for too long. While you did help the world a bit when you claimed to be my apostle, you also sowed chaos, which you will have to quell."
"The Aether liquid has done this a bit, but there are still people who you have given the will to fight back, and they are using it to be the thing they hated the most."
"If you can, please come up with a solution sooner. At the rate, things are going… I hope to be there to see the world become peaceful when I disappear."
Alexis sat quiet, looking out of the window.
"How long do you think you have?" Ning asked.
"Not very long," Alexis said. "Maybe 3 weeks' worth of time in total. If I disappear from time to time, I can extend it to 3 years, but that is just hopefulness for now."
"As things go on, my remaining time will get lower and lower," she said. "I just wish—"
Alexis stopped. "I'll talk to you later." Then she vanished.
She didn't vanish like an Aether user having the light wrap around them, or an Aether user opening a portal. Instead, she simply vanished like Ning did when he teleported.
Ning looked around in confusion, wondering why she left just like that. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.
'Damn, I was barely going to rest too,' Ning thought with an annoyed look, but quickly hid it before going to open the door.
When he did open, he saw a middle-aged woman with thin white streaks of hair along with some spots.
She was half a head shorter than Ning, wearing a reddish gown, and stared directly at Ning.
"I assume you are Terran Forn?" she asked.
"Yes," Ning said with a weird look. "You are?"
"I am Lira, the one who serves the Lord," she said. "The Lord asks you to visit him. Please come with me."
The woman turned around and started walking without saying anything more. Ning was surprised that she didn't even stay around for his approval.
'The hell? Does she think that everyone will move just because the lord is calling them?' he thought. 'I mean they would, but damn, she should at least wait for people to accept it.'
He quickly poured Aether into his eyes and looked at her core. The amount of Aether and the density told him that she was right on the edge of Aether Emperor and Aether Saint.
'Such a strong woman and she is a servant to that Perry guy? Damn,' Ning thought.
He quickly followed her and walked into an elevator with her. Without saying anything, she hit the button at the very top.
'So he lives on the top floor, huh?' Ning thought.
The tower was so tall that it took the elevator nearly 2 minutes to reach the very top. That was after starting on the 52nd floor too.
When they finally reached, the elevator door opened and Ning walked out. However, not even 2 steps later, he realized that the woman named Lira was not coming out of the elevator.
"You're not coming?" Ning asked.
"No. The Lord wishes to speak to you in private, so I will not be following. Just knock on the door, the lord should be expecting you," the woman said.
The elevator door closed and Ning turned around to look at the massive wooden door in front of him with intricate designs on it. It looked like there were many Aether beasts dancing on top of the door.
This was the room of the Lord, on the eastern wing of the highest floor. Although, Ning didn't doubt that this whole floor was his.
He touched the designs a bit and then knocked on the door.
He knocked twice and remained silent until he heard a voice from the inside, "Come on in."
The door opened on its own, and Ning walked in. As soon as he did, he saw a decrepit old man on the floor in the room.
Ning would've thought that he absorbing Aether currently if not for the constant fidgeting he showed.
'Why is he down on the floor when there is a perfectly good table and chair over there?' Ning thought, looking to the side.
The man's eyes suddenly opened, and he turned to the side to look at Ning with what seemed like crazy eyes.
Ning was a little taken aback. This looked nothing like the calm man that defeated him 2 years ago.
