As hundreds of people swarmed out of the inn with the intent of reaching Beast Emperor Star as fast as possible, an almost imperceptible shadow made its way through their ranks, leaving the inn and eventually making its way to a nearby forest.
After walking for a bit, the figure came across a sleek air bike that was parked not far away.
They inserted their mana and took off, submerging into their thoughts.
'The Genesis Bead is a peak treasure of Life. I must attain it at all costs.'
There were several rumors about the Genesis Bead, with some more outrageous ones even claiming it was related to the origin of the universe. Its effects were actually unknown, but if one thing was certain, it was the fact that the Genesis Bead was a treasure not many could match.
'What could provoke them to put out such a heavenly treasure for a competition as simple and lawless as this? It will undoubtedly cause chaos!'
There was no possible scenario where the competition was allowed to occur without interruptions. In fact, there was a higher chance of the ceremony getting ruined than the little princess getting married.
'But I must still attend. The Genesis Bead is too important.'
As the figure flashed through the air, their cloak fluttered in the wind, revealing hints of the woman underneath.
She was a beauty that could be described in no way other than divine. No matter which part of her body one focused on, any word that wasn't "perfection" would feel blasphemous.
This woman was beautiful to the point where she could genuinely provoke reverence from those weaker beings who witnessed her.
Yet, even with such an appearance, her hands were filled with callouses from endless battle. Her ocean-blue eyes were burning with a fearsome determination that not many in the universe could match.
'The Genesis Bead will be mine.' She declared inwardly as she left the world's atmosphere.
Even if all else was vague, she would achieve her goals.
Of this, she could swear on her pride as a Valkyrie!
***
On the other side of the universe, Hidden Death Valley was in a frenzy.
A storm had just left the premises, after all.
Arthur Bloodlock was truly a merciless and cruel individual. The second he stepped into the institute, he flared his aura as a Supreme and immediately suppressed all those that couldn't resist him.
He tore through the academy in search of clues about his son, but he found nothing.
After all, Reavus Bloodlock wasn't a good person at all.
The number of people he'd offended was vast, and the number of people who hated him but couldn't retaliate due to status was even greater.
Were there students willing to help with the investigation?
Even though most of them knew nothing at all, they refused to cooperate all the same.
Under the academy's protection, they didn't have to be afraid of the Bloodlock Clan's influence, not unless there was a Bloodlock genius attending the academy.
But now that Reavus was dead, why did they need to care?
As they expected, Alucard thoroughly suppressed Arthur whenever he tried to cross the line, guaranteeing the safety of his students.
However, this didn't mean the search was unsuccessful.
Relating the Heavenly King to the murderer named Damien wasn't difficult considering the former's deeds in the Celestial Realm.
At that point, Arthur narrowed his investigation to only those Emperors and Paragons at the peak of the academy.
However, how could these prideful geniuses with backing no weaker than Blood Asura Holy Land submit easily? With Arthur's forceful methods, they were more inclined to ignore him regardless.
Arthur was almost consumed by his rage at that point. To have so many ants disrespecting him like this wasn't something he'd ever accept!
Merely, Hidden Death Valley was one of the rare few influences in the universe that the Bloodlock Clan couldn't match up to.
Luckily, the academy was still an academy. There was no such thing as unity between sect members, at least not at a definite level.
While Reavus Bloodlock had been killed, there were still forces aligned with the Bloodlock Clan in the institute.
Specifically, those Wellspring Family geniuses who were too weak to ever compete with those at the Paragon level.
From them, Arthur was able to easily get the information he wanted.
About the man who ruthlessly crippled the Wellspring Family Heir, killed several Bloodlock Clan and Wellspring Family members, and tortured Reavus to death, Arthur finally got a clue.
'Damien Void!' He roared inwardly as he left the academy. 'I will slaughter you!'
The man's crimes were far worse than he expected. He'd repeatedly slapped Blood Asura Holy Land across the face without care, sullying their reputation with his existence.
This was a man who absolutely had to die.
With this thought in mind, Arthur shot through the universe, using several cross-sector teleportation arrays to reach Eien in the shortest amount of time possible.
If there was a place best suited for hiding from one's enemies, it was Eien. With its vastness and culture, nobody would care who one offended until that trouble came back to bite them.
'Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!' Arthur raged inwardly.
Despite being in Eien for several days, he couldn't find a single clue about the man named Damien Void! It's like he didn't exist at all!
Rather than him, it seemed everyone wanted to tell him about some Golden Palace Master who shook the world a few days ago, but this didn't matter at all to Arthur!
'Has he left Eien?' He wondered.
If Damien was strong enough to kill Reavus so one-sidedly, there was no way he'd be in Eien as a regular foot soldier.
If he wasn't here…
'I'm sure we have a subsidiary force here. I shall visit them for information.'
What would Arthur's reaction be like when he found out that Asuran Gate was destroyed thoroughly after evidence of their collusion with the Nox leaked from the Void Corridor expedition?
Well, it wasn't pretty at all.
The already ruined headquarters of Asuran Gate was reduced to dust by Arthur's rage.
It was infuriating.
It was truly infuriating!
How could it be that a weakling not even at the extreme peak of 4th class could lead him on so pathetically?!
From Eien, there was absolutely no trail of Damien's next location.
Even those who knew him when he was on Eien assumed he died in the Void Corridor due to his rapid and silent exit.
In that final moment, Arthur was once again presented with a final strand of hope in the form of a cloaked figure surrounded by ominous black mana.
"Damien Void, I can tell you his location," the figure proclaimed indifferently, letting loose a bit of their aura and making it clear to Arthur that he couldn't match them at all.
This person was already on the cusp of Divinity.
Arthur's eyes sharpened. He could feel the breath of the Nox on this person's body even though it wasn't inherently mixed into their mana.
'A traitor.' He realized instantly.
However, he didn't push this person away.
In this world, there was no such thing as eternal enemies, only eternal benefits.
If this man could truly provide the information he wanted, Arthur didn't even mind sheltering him and giving him an identity in the universe.
Nevertheless, he held out his hand as a sign of cooperation.
"Tell me everything you know about that man, and you will be rewarded handsomely."
The shadowy figure seemed to grin maliciously, though it might have been an illusion created by their aura.
They reached out a wrinkled hand and shook Arthur's.
"Haha, cooperation is a simple task. That Damien Void is our enemy as well. If you wish to know his precise location and information about his skillset, all you need to do is…"
A conversation began from there.
It was a conversation that could possibly sentence the entirety of Blood Asura Holy Land to purgatory.
However, it was being carried out regardless.
All for the sake of the death of a single man.
