"How do you feel about coming to work under me?"
Damien's shocking words were only heard by the two of them. Unbeknownst to the others, Damien's plan was never to kill Tephit.
In the many days he spent devouring Tephit Clan elders, he was able to piece together a story that none other than him could see, the story of the Tephit Clan Head that would never be revealed to the masses.
Comprehending this story allowed him a different perspective on the happenings of Aquazyl, and at the same time, made him consider changing his approach.
Even the meeting between the two had been set up many nights prior. Damien used a special contact signal known to the Tephit Clan's elders to do so.
"Work under you? That's quite a comical thing to hear from a junior, don't you think?" Tephit teased with a smile. He didn't seem to take Damien's words to heart.
"You know as much as I do that I'm not joking around. Look below, do you think your plans will succeed even with the current scene?"
Tephit glanced at the ongoing violence and shook his head. "How could you comprehend my plans? Even this much is within my expectations."
"I never said your expectations didn't account for this circumstance. Rather, I'm saying your expectations have been wrong from the start."
Tephit's eyes hardened, but before he could speak, Damien continued his previous thought.
"I don't know how long you've lived and planned this route, but your sacrificial ritual won't open the gate you wish it to. Even if you make your way out of Aquazyl, you will not be able to control the Emperor Bone Sea."
"The Sea God's descendants; this is what you lot like to call yourselves. But someone like you who has lived countless lives as your soul transfers from one body to another should understand just as well as I do that this legend is false."
"You're saying the Sea God doesn't exist?" Tephit questioned.
"No. The Sea God definitely existed, and so did the five Godbeasts your clans descended from. However, the two had no relations with each other. While you are indeed Godbeast descendants, you are not Sea God descendants. If you were, the current problem you face wouldn't exist."
"And that problem is...?"
"Naturally it's your inability to control the Emperor Bone Sea."
The two became quiet. Tephit thought over Damien's words with utmost seriousness. Despite how much he wanted to throw this youth's ideas away as nonsense, he couldn't bring himself to do so.
After all, everything Damien said was right.
The Tephit that existed now was the same Tephit who led the clan hundreds of thousands of years ago. Every time his lifespan neared its end, he would bring a child with great talent under his wing and steal his body, continuing his life past its natural limits.
With the breadth of experience he gained through all the time he spent alive, he'd also come to certain conclusions. These conclusions were the reason why he chose to sacrifice everyone and escape in the first place.
The Sea God Clans were fakes. Their pride in their bloodlines was based on a foundation of lies. In reality, the Sea God Clans were tools used by the Sea God to maintain Aquazyl until its natural successor arrived.
Tephit was unresigned to this outcome. He refused to be cannon fodder for someone else's growth. He wanted to escape and use his authority to rule the Emperor Bone Sea, breaking the vicious cycle he'd experienced so many times.
But...now he was hearing that his efforts were all in vain?
"I know how you're probably feeling right now, but you can't let your doubt and unwillingness control you. Listen to my proposal properly and make a decision. If you still wish to continue forward after that conversation ends, we will fight to the death."
Damien spoke with certainty. He had a certain grasp on Tephit's character. While he was willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals, he wasn't an inherently bad person. He was just someone forced to the extreme by his horrible circumstances.
Damien wanted Tephit under him. He wanted to create a civilization in the Sanctuary's seas, a civilization that would grow and flourish into a grand army that could help him in times of need.
It was true that the Sanctuary was a separate realm compared to the Real Plane. Residing within was just as entrapping as living in Aquazyl. But in the Sanctuary, the decision to leave always existed. This was the key point Damien wanted to use to convince Tephit.
Tephit was a man who yearned for freedom. To use freedom to tempt him into moving according to Damien's wishes was his main goal and plan in coming to the Tephit Clan.
"It feels like this is a moment where I should let pride cloud my vision so I can fight you...but for some reason, I can't convince myself to do so," Tephit said with a wry smile.
"I'm old now. Did you know? When a soul goes through the strain of possessing a new body, it takes more than just a little damage. Possession is something that can only be done once unless you wish to lose a part of yourself."
"I, however, have undergone possession five times already. My emotions have been numbed, even the determination I started with had been diluted to a primal instinct. I try my best to cover my weaknesses and emote to my best capabilities, but this only serves as a reminder of how grand my ambitions used to be. Nowadays, I only move with a faint sliver of hope that I will accomplish something in this life."
Tephit gazed up at Aquazyl's sky.
"How can I verify that what you say is true?" He asked Damien.
Damien shrugged. "You can't. I have absolute confidence in my assumptions, and judging from your reactions, you've made the same guesses in the past. Just because you suppressed those thoughts in fear of their truth doesn't make them invalid."
Tephit nodded. Everything Damien presumed had once been presumed by him. Still, it was difficult for him to make a decision.
After all...
"It's already too late. The sacrifices needed to complete the ritual will be completely filled once the Tephit Clan meets its destruction. At this point, is it even worth turning away?"
Damien smiled. This was exactly the final nail he needed to strike into the coffin.
"That's fine then, let's do it that way. I'll accompany you to the end, and when you see your plan's failure with your own eyes, I'll take you in. How does that sound?"
"It sounds awfully manipulative," Tephit replied with a smile.
"Is it manipulative if I tell you my goal from the start?" Damien asked with the same smile.
"Fair enough."
Tephit sighed in exasperation. He was truly too old to keep carrying the facade of a young and crazily ambitious leader. He'd been doing so for such a long time, he found it refreshing to speak to someone who understood his identity.
Looking at Damien, he was forced to sigh in wonder. Just the fact that the latter sat here, not only in front of him but also in Aquazyl in general, showed the degree of talent he held.
He was someone who'd ascend to the peak one day.
'Maybe...I'll be able to see something spectacular before I die if I follow him...'
The wild thought came to Tephit's mind. He was well aware that his current life was his last. If he transferred his soul even one more time, his ego would be lost in the process.
"Come, then. Let's see how true your words are."
Tephit resolved himself to a decision. He and Damien sat in silence thereafter, drinking their tea and watching the ongoing events take place.
The Tephit Clan's role was almost over, and while the ending of the war Damien started was a bit lackluster due to Tephit's attitude, he didn't mind this at all.
After all, the lackluster nature of this conclusion only meant that his planning was without flaw. When events flowed properly, nothing like the Fifth Primal Sovereign's surprise explosive death would occur.
And if Damien was able to truly plan things to such precision, it only meant that his ability to properly use his intelligence was rising.
Nevertheless, besides a little pride, Damien didn't feel much.
His celebration could wait until Tephit stood under his rule.
