Legacy of the Dark Sage

True Void was only a sentient born from a magic weapon. Nevertheless, the intense emotion he felt at that moment was similar to what humans would feel when faced with a desperate situation.

After all, he never expected to meet the very person he did not want to meet— the new Soul Emperor!

"Run away!" True Void shouted at Anette at once.

Anette did not need to be told twice. No matter how strong her resolve to put her life on the line to help his grandson accomplish whatever goal he had set his sight on, she knew escaping from the new Soul Emperor was the best course of action.

Even if the scene that greeted them upon their arrival made her insides churn with fear and worry for the people in Ravenpass, she knew this was not the time to risk her life. Doing so would only make her sacrifice in vain. What she had to do was escape and let the others know about the situation in Ravenpass.

Before coming, Anette kept the transmission scroll in her hands in case of emergency. Thus, after True Void gave the order, she activated it immediately.

"Did I permit you to leave—?"

"You're not allowed to interfere!"

Before the new Soul Emperor could make a move, True Void disengaged himself, and the shape-shifting plates flew toward Anette, forming a protective barrier around her.

Gold magic arrays appeared above Anette and beneath her feet, engulfing her in a blinding light.

A powerful magic aura erupted from the new Soul Emperor, which swept out in all directions toward True Void. But the latter was undaunted. He braced himself from the impact and ensured Anette's escape would not be interrupted.

Before Anette was transported away, she managed to turn and look at the face of the new Soul Emperor— the Crown Princess of the Yflaen Empire.

While she already knew Cyneah looked similar to the Crown Princess, when Anette saw the latter, she did not see a glimpse of the former. As a matter of fact, the woman she saw looked very different.

Flowing light brown hair and sapphire blue eyes— while the color of her hair was similar to Cyneah's,  the woman's facial features differed from hers.

Was she truly the new Soul Emperor?

Anette was not given a chance to ponder this question because she had been transported back to Noser.

True Void heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that Anette had managed to escape. He looked at the woman before him, feeling shivers run up his illusory arms.

He knew what the Crown Princess looked like, with the exception of the color of her eyes; she shared the same face as Cyneah.

This woman looked nothing the same as the latter, but True Void knew who she was simply because her face was similar to the Soul Emperor he knew from a thousand years ago.

"I've had my doubts," True Void started. "But now I am sure... in the end, my master failed to kill you."

Layla lowered her outstretched arm and smiled at True Void— a smile that lit up her whole face accentuating her beauty, yet always made him uncomfortable.

"You still call him 'master,' I see," she said. "Do you not acknowledge the new Void Master? Is it why you would not appear in your real form?"

True Void did not reply and instead focused on manipulating the shape-shifting plates, forming them into a mini Void armor again.

"Still as unfriendly as ever," Layla commented with a helpless sigh.

"You don't seem worried about letting one of us escape," True Void remarked.

But he was not only making idle chatter. When he manipulated the shape-shifting plates to turn back into armor, he left a few to go down the cliff. He had two reasons for doing so, and the first one was tl check the situation below. As for the second, it was for precautionary measures.

That was True Void's priority at that moment— find out what happened to the people in Ravenpass.

Ravenpass might be engulfed in flames, but that was not the reason he and Anette were frightened to death.

The real culprit was the huge figure floating above Ravenpass, emitting such an ominous and terrifying energy— the Macabre Glacier!

Layla's smile widened, turning from a serene-looking smile into an eerie one.

"Because it will not make a difference," she said coldly. "After all, I have accomplished what I came here for."

True Void almost let out a gasp of fright after hearing that. Previously, he and Kyran discussed the Soul Emperor's objective in targeting the Regis Clan. If what Layla was saying was true, did she mean she had already killed and taken the souls of every member of the Regis Clan?

Nonetheless, True Void knew the Regis Special Force had already arrived at the Regis Estate. Layla had not taken the ones she needed if this was the case. But that did not put True Void at ease. If every Regis clan member had indeed fallen, who knew how Kyran would react?

Once again, True Void felt helpless at not being able of real use at such times because they had yet to locate his real body.

Recalling Layla's remark about him not showing Kyran his real form, True Void was somehow comforted because this meant she was unaware that he had been separated from his real body.

In any case, True Void had to buy some time until he confirmed the real situation in Ravenpass.

"Humph," True Void replied, crossing his arms across his chest. "Did you really accomplish your objective? From what I can see, you're not fully controlling the Macabre Glacier."

The corner of Layla's eyes twitched slightly, but her smile did not falter. She said, "I don't need to have full control over it. As long as I can take it out and—."

"Having it appear before your target doesn't mean it will make them lose their minds. And even if that is the case, the fact that I am seeing it and can still stay sane proves its power has not fully awakened."

Layla stopped short. Her eyes widened as she looked at True Void in disbelief. But her disbelief only appeared briefly. Soon after, she laughed heartily and said, "Is that what you thought I was trying to accomplish here?"

The light in True Void's eyes dimmed slightly.

"Enough of this," Layla suddenly stopped laughing and raised her hand toward True Void.

An invisible force enveloped True Void without warning, and his movements were sealed at once.

"What—?"

"The Regis Clan is not the only one I am after," Layla smiled, which did not reach her eyes. "You should know that better, right?"

True Void's eyes widened.

Of course, he knew. It was precisely the reason he did not want to meet her!

Layla had been coveting True Void since she knew what he could do!

"I do, which is why I have prepared countermeasures!"

Although True Void's movements had been sealed, his consciousness was not. After confirming that he had lost control over the miniature armor, he transferred his consciousness over to one of the shape-shifting plates he had sent below the cliff.

Layla's sapphire blue eyes squinted maliciously after sensing True Void's consciousness leaving the miniature armor.

'This is not his main core?' She thought in disbelief.

As far as she was concerned, she was the only one who had the ability to transfer consciousness over to another vessel! How could True Void, a mere sentient of a magic weapon, do so?

Layla instantly spread out her magic sense in an attempt to locate True Void's real core.

However, before her magic sense could go further, the sky above flashed, and an earth-shattering sound echoed throughout the land.

CRASH—BOOOM!

Layla stopped and looked up at the sky at once.

True Void, in the midst of escaping, also looked up. But he did not stop manipulating the shape-shifting plates away. He merely looked up to see where the explosion had occurred.

'T-That's—!'

The hole in the sky, which he could see from a distance, had several cracks spreading out in every direction from its edges. Glass-like shards fell from the cracks and disintegrated with the wind before touching the ground.

A smile appeared on Layla's face as she saw several figures descending from the hole.

"Finally," she muttered. "They have come."

True Void was forced to a stop after seeing the figures appearing from the hole. Since he was too far, he could not be sure who they were. But seeing that these figures did not seem to be 'fighting' against each other meant only one thing.

They were the Sovereigns who wanted to enter the Human plane!

What about Nolan, then? What happened to him?

These questions floated in True Void's mind, and his illusory heart sank.

Nolan was not a Sovereign. Obviously, he would never be able to prevent several Sovereigns by himself!

Just as True Void was thinking the situation had escalated too fast, a thunderous voice filled with unmasked rage reverberated throughout the empire.

"To dare touch my family... UNFORGIVABLE!"