“Alright, calm down, Jack,” the hologram seated opposite Victor said, its voice carrying a serious, mechanical tone.
“S-Sorry, Master,” Jack stammered, his eyes wide with fear as he backed away, his posture resembling that of a scolded dog.
Victor glanced at Jack, his expression unreadable, before sighing inwardly. ‘Jack really is a weird one,’ he thought, not for the first time.
The Master’s attention shifted back to Victor, its expressionless holographic face nodding in approval. “Yes, indeed, what Jack said is true. You managed to take down the throne and bring a Chosen One to our side instead of killing him. That’s truly impressive.”
Victor returned the nod, replying smoothly, “Killing Leon wouldn’t have been the wisest choice. He’s too valuable to discard. A resource like that should be used, not wasted.”
“Indeed,” the Master agreed, its mechanical voice laced with satisfaction.
Victor had orchestrated a plan that was equal parts ruthless and ingenious. By killing Leon’s father, he had ensured Leon’s hatred would be laser-focused on him. That consuming wrath became the perfect tool for manipulation. Jack used that and done a deal with Leon, promising him the power to defeat Victor and exact revenge. But, in truth, Leon was nothing more than a pawn in their larger game.
Did Victor care?
Not in the slightest!
However, the figure in the hologram on the far left suddenly spoke, its tone sharp and accusatory. “However, he didn’t finish his mission, did he?”
The room fell into a tense silence, and everyone turned to look at the first figure.
“What do you mean?” the Master asked.
The figure’s hologram flickered as it continued, “We tasked him with uncovering details about the Origin Emperor and eliminating a Chosen One… Not take over the Empire and let the chosen one live…. He accomplished nothing to me. Frankly, Still I’m not inclined to trust this man.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The Master nodded thoughtfully. “Your point is valid. However, Victor’s choice to spare the Chosen One and repurpose him as a resource was a far better outcome. Does anyone else disagree with this assessment?”
Victor’s gaze flicked around the table. Of the remaining figures, only the first on the left raised its hand. The other three stayed silent, clearly in agreement with the Master’s perspective.
“A-Are you all serious?” the dissenting figure started to protest, its voice rising in incredulity. But the Master raised a hand, and the figure immediately fell silent.
Turning back to Victor, the Master asked, “Now, mind sharing what you’ve learned about the Origin Emperor?”
Victor nodded and recounted the fragments of information he had….
When he finished, the Master’s mechanical voice echoed, “I see… but none of this explains the Origin Emperor’s true nature or origins, does it?”
Victor shrugged, his expression neutral. “That’s all I’ve uncovered so far,” he replied smoothly…. to be honest, he didn’t find anything about him too!
The Master hummed thoughtfully before asking, “Since you now rule the Empire, does that mean you can control the dragons? And if so, how?” There was a trace of suspicion in its otherwise neutral tone, paired with a growing curiosity that mirrored the others.
All eyes turned to Victor, the atmosphere brimming with anticipation.
Victor had anticipated this question. He reached into his coat and pulled out….
“Horns?” Jack’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, his grin widening as he recognized the object. “The horns of the previous Dragon Emperor?”
“Exactly,” Victor confirmed, holding them up for all to see. “With these, I can control them like puppets.”
Murmurs of understanding rippled through the group. The Legend of the Dragon Emperor’s horns said to hold dominion over their kin, had long been considered a mere myth. But seeing them now, tangible and undeniably real, left no room for doubt.
One of the holograms, seated on the far right, leaned forward slightly, its flickering form exuding curiosity. “If you don’t mind, why not hand them over to me?” the figure suggested, its tone deceptively polite.
Victor’s expression darkened, his brows knitting together.
Sensing his resistance, the figure continued, “Don’t worry, it’s only for research. If we can uncover the secret of how these horns work, we could harness their power for ourselves. Imagine what we could achieve with control over the dragons. They could be a tremendous asset in our plans.”
Victor stared at the figure who had requested the horn…. He knew he needed their trust and acknowledgement to solidify his position within the group, but this was pushing it too far… it almost put his Empire at risk.
Handing over these meant potentially opening the door to future dangers, but denying them outright could cast doubt on his loyalty.
Still,
Victor gave a faint, calculated smile. “Fine. You can examine one,” he said with a firm yet calm tone, sliding a single horn across the table toward the figure. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
The group collectively paused, their holographic images flickering as if mirroring their surprise.
[+10 AP]
[+10 AP]
[+10 AP]
[+10 AP]
Victor noted the notifications with satisfaction. ‘Four approvals. That one dissenting figure still won’t budge, but it doesn’t matter. Majority rules,’ he thought, keeping his expression neutral.
Even if they managed to uncover anything from the horn, Victor knew their progress would be painstakingly slow. For now, the risk was acceptable.
The Master nodded its head, its holographic form exuding an air of satisfaction. “Do you see? Someone intent on betrayal wouldn’t make such a gesture of trust,” it said, addressing the group.
The dissenting figure clenched its fists, its silhouette radiating frustration. After a moment, it sighed and muttered, “Whatever.”
“Good,” the Master said with finality, turning its attention back to Victor. “Let it be known—Victor is now officially one of us.”
The Master’s tone shifted, becoming sharp and authoritative. “Now, let’s address something pressing—Jack’s repeated failures to eliminate Kaelen.”
All attention turned toward Jack, who immediately flinched. His bravado crumbled as he darted behind Victor, clinging to his back like a frightened child seeking protection.
Victor raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. ‘So, they had plans to eliminate Kaelen… interesting,’ he thought, remaining silent to absorb the unfolding scene.
“Jack,” the Master began, its voice cold and unyielding, “you’ve failed your mission—not once, but three consecutive times. First, you failed to eliminate Kai Frostblade. We excused that because of Marisandra’s interference—it was an understandable complication. But then, you failed with Aqualina Naiadia. And Aria Zephyr? Twice, the circumstances were in your favour, and twice, you let them slip through your fingers. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Jack hesitated, his head bowing as shame painted his face. “I-I’m sor—”
“I DON’T WANT YOUR APOLOGIES!” the Master thundered, its voice reverberating with fury. “What I demand are results! Look at Victor—unlike you, he has delivered tangible success.”
Jack’s hands trembled as he clenched them into fists, his teeth grinding audibly, “B-But Master, I-It’s all because of… um…” He faltered, his voice trailing off.
“What is it?”
Jack glanced around nervously, then mumbled, “Nothing…”
“Acting like a sulking child won’t help you, Jack,” the Master said, its tone heavy with disdain.
Jack’s eyes widened in fear, his composure crumbling further. “B-But I did find something useful! Something important!” he stammered, his words rushing out.
The Master’s hologram flickered slightly. “And what is that? The Phoenixes?” it asked pointedly.
Jack’s expression froze, awkward and sheepish. “W-Well… not exactly. I haven’t located one yet…”
A collective sigh rippled through the group, their frustration palpable.
Victor’s brow furrowed as he observed the scene. ‘Phoenix? Why are they so looking for Phoenixes? Could it be connected to Raven’s threats… or Thalia’s?’ He silently pondered the implications.
Jack’s demeanour suddenly shifted as he straightened his back, pride gleaming in his eyes as he showed the image of…
“Ebon Pillar of Eternal Rite stone?” the Master murmured, its tone betraying genuine shock.
“Yep!” Jack exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, his confidence fully restored.
Victor’s eyes widened slightly, ‘This group already knows about the Ebon stone? So, Dora… you’re far behind these people,’ he thought, comparing the Sovereign’s limited knowledge to the group’s advanced reach.
Jack puffed out his chest, “I used all my puppets and every resource at my disposal to locate this. Trust me, it wasn’t easy, but here it is!” he said triumphantly, gesturing toward the image.
Victor leaned forward, studying the image. The stone resembled the one in the Pyra Empire and Naiadae Empire but its below was coated in a sinister, black, tar-like substance that oozed and shimmered ominously.
“What is this?” Victor asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
The group’s attention shifted to the Master, who paused before speaking.
“He has proven his loyalty,” the Master said thoughtfully. “There’s no need to withhold this knowledge from him any longer.”
The Master’s hologram flickered slightly as it continued, “Victor, this Stone is called the Ebon Pillar of Eternal Rite. It was created in ancient times by the gods themselves. But it’s no ordinary stone—it’s a sacrificial stone, and its sole purpose is to activate ‘The Beginning'”