Michael didn't hesitate to fight a few more times. After his first spar with Thaor, he felt refreshed and his mind was overflowing with various ideas to improve his fighting style.
It was not the first time that Michael used the memories of those who fell victim to his might, but it was the first time he didn't use his Soultraits while relying on the combat experience and Martial Arts he'd learned through the memories. In this fight he wanted to use Martial Arts and Experiences derived from the memories of the Awakened he killed in the past to make them a part of his own arsenal.
It was already late at night when Michael finished challenging the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs and sparring with them to his heart's content. Michael was very satisfied with the outcome. Right after he dealt with Thaor, Lokai and Mekhaz approached him. They challenged him to a spar which Michael accepted without a second thought. He fought with his friends and adjusted his fighting style according to their movements and attack pattern.
Under normal circumstances, Michael could analyze his enemies' fighting style in the blink of an eye, but without actively using Spirit Eyes it took a little longer. He had to fight his enemies at a close distance for a few minutes before he could counterattack by utilizing the weak spots in the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs' attack and movement patterns.
It was actually quite interesting to observe his enemies and adapt to their fighting style. The Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs were natural fighters. Their innate talent and combat awareness was great, forcing Michael to change his strategy quite often.
'Daily spars with them while the Immortal Knight gives us pointers would be perfect!' Michael thought, dreaming about growing much stronger without having to use Soultraits.
His Soultraits were his strongest weapons, by far, but he wanted to not rely on them heavily in the near future. Michael was willing to work hard to turn them into tools rather than necessities. At least, that was what Michael was hoping for.
He loved his Soultraits but he didn't want to be dependent on them. That could be dangerous and come to bite back at him when faced with stronger opponents. Michael realized that after seeing how powerful Energy Seal was and how it restrained Alice. Alice Zenovia's combat prowess was reduced drastically after the Energy Seal targeted her. She was unable to tap into the energy origin residing inside her. It was impossible for her to use her Soultrait, or her Martial Arts since most required energy to be utilized properly.
If Energy Seal was already so powerful against Alice, Michael could only imagine how severe the effect would be if Energy Seal was used against him. Soultraits like Energy Seal were Michael's worst nightmare.
"It would be easier to find a Soultrait that can reverse a Soultrait's effect. But where am I going to find something like that?" Michael asked himself quietly before parting ways with the Subordinate applicants.
Some applicants asked why Michael didn't finish the signing process today, however, Michael's answer was ambiguous. No one was given an early-access pass to sign a Soul Pact, and establish their Link of Loyalty with Michael.
Instead, everyone was given some time to rethink their decision. Michael didn't want to rush anything. He hoped that the applicants could think about their decision thoroughly. Becoming his subordinate would turn into a lifelong commitment in most cases, after all.
As everyone returned to their rooms, Michael heard the sound of muffled footsteps behind him. He halted in his tracks and saw that the War Priestess and the Chieftain had been following him. They weren't skilled stalkers, but it was not like they were required to follow him stealthily.
"Are you busy?" The Chieftain asked his tone a notch more serious than before.
"I have no appointments if that's what you mean," Michael responded, wondering if it was even possible not to be busy as a Lord. He had so many tasks on his to-do list that he wondered whether he could complete all of them soon, or if the to-do list would expand faster than he could finish the tasks.
The War Priestess scoffed, "In that case, do you want to assign a punishment to the Lords who attacked you? We cut their energy veins but the Tritan Council is divided about their punishment. Some say that removing their energy veins will be torturous enough to count as their punishment. Others, however, want to crush their War Rune and imprison them for life. There is also a third group that wants to execute the Lords publicly to make a clear public statement."
"The latter is a punishment for your sake. By killing the Lords who attempted to kidnap you, the Tritan Alliance demonstrates that they're on your side and that we have no tolerance for attempts to harm you in any way," The Chieftain added, making it clear that he was one of the people who voted for the third form of punishment.
"The Tritan Council must be torn," Michael mumbled, guessing that neither of the choices gotten the majority of votes, meaning that the Tritan Council couldn't act merely yet.
"Because we didn't procure the majority of votes, we started a second voting with a fourth choice; to give you the right to decide their punishment. Many were displeased with this proposal, but it appears like some seats in the Tritan Council are curious about your attitude towards these Lords."
Michael fell into deep thoughts. He didn't expect to receive such an opportunity, but the answer was easy. It was quite obvious what his decision would be…too easy.
"These sly bastards!" Michael cursed quietly.
"So you've noticed." The War Priestess noted without a change in her expression.
"It's not that hard to realize what they want," Michael responded with a dry cough, "They want to see how I procure Soultraits and the logic behind my Power to strengthen Soultraits. Observing and analyzing me while I use my Power is their primary goal. Once they know how I use my Power, they'll try to make use of the information to strike deals with me, probably."
"That roughly sums it up. Yup."
Michael licked his lower lip, and the corner of his lip curled upward.
"Okay. I made my decision," He said, "I want to spend 10 days with the kidnappers in an isolated place with no one else in the room. Just me and the three Lords."
The War Priestess and the Chieftain anticipated this kind of answer from Michael. They didn't believe of Michael as a coward who would ignore such an opportunity. It might be dangerous, but Michael was not a cowardly Lord. He was a True Warrior who destroyed the obstacles that tried to hinder his path and face his enemies head-on.
That was also how Michael ended up in a large isolated room underground within the next two hours. The Council had initially prepared a room for Michael with Beast, Veronica Park, and the third Lord waiting for him patiently. The three Lords were chained to the walls, unable to move an inch. All they could do was glare threateningly at Michael and the Chieftain who left Michael alone in the room made of marbled meteorite ore.
["The Tritan Council has granted you 10 days to complete their punishment. You can do whatever you want. Just keep in mind that we can see and hear you"] The Chieftain's voice rang through the speakers placed in the corners of the room.
Michael didn't have anything against everyone listening to him, but he was a little annoyed that they could see what he was doing. Therefore, he did something to solve that problem. Michael retrieved a few Inferior Energy Stones from his War Rune and crushed them in the next moment. A burst of energy flooded the room and it didn't take long for the tendrils of Extraction to shoot out of Michael and devour the energy that permeated the air.
Once all energy was drained, Michael used 10-layers of Enhancement on the Soultrait Symbol of Extraction. Michael unleashed the Dome of Extraction with a burst, coating the entire room in Extraction's Power at once. It didn't require much effort to pinpoint and differentiate the countless devices that had been installed inside the walls of the isolated building and around it.
Michael extracted the video cameras within seconds before he inserted the Power of Extraction inside the marbled meteorite walls to check if he missed any recording devices. He found a few voice recorders, but Michael ignored them. If someone wanted to listen to the screams of three old Lords over the next 10 days…who was Michael to deny that request?
["What the hell did you do merely now?!?"] The voice of an old man resounded through the isolated room, but Michael just scoffed.
"I'm sorry. It looks like my Soultrait destroyed some devices. I will compensate the Tritan Alliance for the damages."
["No no no. We want to se—"] The voice began, only for Michael to intercept sharply, "There is no issue with the safety measurements, so I'll continue executing the Lords' punishment. Since I've been permitted to do WHATEVER I want, I won't need a nanny to look over me, either way."
["Urgh…okay"]
It was obvious that the old man on the other side of the speakers was not pleased, but Michael did not care. He heard some hushed voices through the speakers, but they turned silent after a while. The Chieftain, or the War Priestess, maybe both, must have intervened, lecturing the old human powerhouses that it was their idea to give Michael full authority about everything related to the punishment.
It was not Michael's fault that they failed to trick him.
Michael smiled and diverted his focus back to the three Lords.
However, before he started with their punishment, Michael unleashed Glacicle to freeze the marbled meteorite walls, covering the wall with a thick layer of Glacicle.
'Safety first.' He mumbled, only to break into a smile when a flood of curses reached him through the speakers.
"You should turn off the microphone if you don't want me to hear you cursing me!" Michael advised, a vibrant smile covering his face.
**
[A/N: The author is back after a looong time. How is everyone doing? I hope y'all are doing fine. I, for one, am doing very well these days. I like the path I've chosen for Supreme Lord, and everyone's support has been amazing.
However, I'm wondering if everyone agrees with me. Do you like where the story is going, or do you believe it's rather boring to have these 'slow' chapters without much action? Please share your view of the last few chapters with me. :D
