High above the clouds, Varian was looking at the man twitching on the floor.
Robotics arms continued to inject special liquids, and the man's aura fluctuated severely.
"Master, would it really work?" Boo asked for the fifth time as it floated beside him.
Varian nodded. "Torturing a Level 6 is hard. It's better to be clever than to be stupid."
The aura of Michael was falling.
Level 6 peak. Level 5 peak. Level 3 peak.. All the way to Level 1 peak and finally no more.
This was the result of Boo's thirty minutes hard work.
Of course, Michea's divine path didn't actually digress. But for a set period, he would be weakened.
"Wake up."
"Wake up."
Varian saw the man slowly open his eyes.
Micheal was in a daze for a moment before he yelled. "Nova! How dare you poison me! You're dead."
Then he channeled the chi in his body, or at least tried to and failed.
"W-What is going on?" Micheal couldn't feel the chi in his body.
His heart nearly stopped. It was better than his chi stopping.
"This can't be." He tried to sense the chi.
There was none.
"No! I'm just tired." He stood up and glanced at the strange white room he was in.
"Yes. I'm tired and hallucinating."
Even the fact that he was in an alien location bothered him less than the fact that he lost his chi.
"Wake up. Yes. Wake up." He closed his eyes and tried to wake up.
"I can feel it. Yes. I can…" Micheal clutched his chair and roared at himself.
After failing to sense chi for the tenth time, he could no longer convince himself.
He leaned against the white wall and muttered with soulless eyes. "Just what happened?"
He remembered drinking something from the newbie butler and then everything went dark.
"Nova." Micheal gritted his teeth in anger and… fear.
"Nova!" He yelled.
The replies were his own echoes.
Micheal didn't give up and slammed on the white walls.
He was an ambitious man. He couldn't be trapped here. He needed to lead the Astor Clan.
They deserved him. No. They needed him. He would climb the ladder and one day, reach Level 9. He would never lose to anyone.
He was Micheal Astor!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
"Let me out!" He slammed the white walls with his weak arms.
They were merciless and unmoving.
After what seemed like an eternity, Micheal stopped.
His arms were bleeding and any strength he previously had was now sapping out with the red liquid that gushed out.
"Please." Micheal lowered his proud head. "Whoever you are, give me back my powers and I'll do anything."
"Good." A sonorous voice sounded across the room, jolting Micheal to his feet.
He didn't curse or demand, but he bowed his head again and asked. "What should I do?"
Questions like 'Who are you' wouldn't work.
His experience proved that to him many times.
When being on the lower end of power, you shouldn't act as equals.
"I am a visitor to your solar system."
The white wall vanished and Micheal gasped as he saw a ten foot tall humanoid.
He wore luxurious robes and had six arms. The most striking feature of him was the shining horn on his forehead.
Micheal saw hope and composed himself. Since the other party wants to explain their identity, he did not interrupt.
"Look around."
And he did. Micheal's eyes widened as he felt his hair erect.
They were in a military briefing. Officers starting from Level 6 all the way to Level 8 and even one or two famous Level 9s were seated.
Yet no one seemed to be aware of their presence.
The Level 9 officer, High General, addressed the latest developments of Purge Mission.
Micheal gulped as sweat rolled down his forehead and drenched his back.
"Are you the Dreamer?" He quivered.
"What do you think?" The humanoid asked back.
His height of ten feet was intimidating, but it was the absolute confidence he radiated coupled with the impossible feat that really frightened him.
Micheal bowed his head. "Sir Dreamer, what should I do for you to give me my power back?"
The humanoid chuckled. "Don't you want more?"
"More?" Micheal looked up in confusion and gaped at the ridiculous scene.
The space around Micheal solidified, a lightning arc danced above his hand, a green light and orange light on the humanoid.
Space, lightning, Morpher and Body Awakener!
There was no mistaking it. He could clearly feel the distinct aura of each path.
Four paths!
An impossible feat!
"H-How?" Micheal found himself crawling to the humanoid. Partly in reverence. Partly in greed. He wanted it. He, too, wanted to stand proud. No. He deserved it. The world needed him.
"I can teach you. I can even help you cross the Sovereign level." The humanoid said in a casual tone.
Micheal knelt down and proclaimed. "Anything. I'll do anything. Please give me the chance, master."
He could doubt the scene with the military, but he couldn't doubt a single being using four divine paths.
This was deemed impossible by every scientist since Blink. Out of the hundreds of billions of humans that existed since Blink, there was not a single Awakener in four paths.
Coupling this with how his chi was deprived, Micheal was convinced.
The humanoid in front of him was someone beyond his imagination.
He could really do what he said.
Varian smiled coldly and continued. "The price is the death of everyone you are close with."
Micheal didn't hesitate. "Power. I just want more power."
"Good. You're the perfect seed."
The humanoid clapped, and Micheal's smile widened. It seemed like he passed the test.
"Before I grant you the power, tell me why you want to betray the household you served for twenty years?"
Micheal paused for a moment and answered hoarsely. "They are trash. They don't recognize my talents. I worked as a third class butler for nineteen years. All my youth was wasted."
Varian raised an eyebrow. "Then why were you promoted to first class butler all of a sudden?"
This was the core question.
A few months after his mother's death, Micheal was promoted to a first class butler and advanced to level 6.
Coupled with Micheal's connection with the fat man, Varian was sure he was closer to the truth.
Boo tried, but couldn't find any related information about Micheal's promotion.
Micheal closed his eyes and clenched his fist. If this was the ticket to his supremacy, he couldn't risk it with a life.
"I followed the orders of Roxana Xander and covered up a small case. She gave me a potion and my talent rose. I directly advanced to—"
Varian's disguise went off, and he slumped on the couch.
"Wh-Human? Who the fuck are you?"
"What's happening?!"
He ignored the surprised and despairing screams from Micheal as the robotic arms sliced him apart.
He sat down and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter was filled with rage and sorrow.
Boo stayed silent as it felt the pain in its master's heart.
His laughter went on until his throat turned dry. Micheal was long dead.
"Fuck them." He growled.
This enmity went beyond any humiliation Charles inflicted upon him.
This was something else.
"One month and I'm Level 4." Varian's smile turned cold. "One year and I'll be Sovereign."
"Your history of 500 years. Your glory. Your influence. Your power. Your strength. Your allies. Everything will be crushed in 1 year." Varian vowed.
"Strength. I want to grow stronger at any cost. Any—" Suddenly, his head spun and Varian found himself collapsing on the couch.
He heard Boo's shouts before everything turned black.
And white.
'Here again?'
"Varian! Please stop!" Her familiar voice was now filled with anxiety.
Varian turned around and saw Sia, around 15 years old, along with the younger Varian.
The Young Varian was furious and yelled at her. "Strength. I want to grow stronger at any cost. Any—"
Slap!