Klaus most certainly didn’t expect the second of the five beings he had left behind to protect Earth many years ago to be this powerful.
He hadn’t tested Nyxthar’s strength, but knowing he was a deathknight was enough to tell him what to expect.
However, Veylor had surprised him, and finding out he hadn’t even used his full strength made Klaus aware that he had just found a powerhouse that could indeed protect Earth when it came down to it.
After Veylor removed his helmet, the face of a handsome elf appeared, taking Klaus aback. His short red hair and eyes show his affinity for the red Phoenix flame, one of the most powerful flames out there.
Klaus was momentarily taken aback, staring at the elf before him.
“You are wondering why I look this way while Nyxthar looks the way he does,” Veylor asked with a smile, causing Klaus to scratch the back of his head.
“I wasn’t body-shaming or anything,” he said, making Veylor laugh like the elf he was.
“No need to wonder. I look this way because this body came with my bloodline. Nyxthar will take a more friendly form after his tribulation,” Veylor explained, and Klaus could only nod.
“So, you knew I already met Nyxthar?” he asked, noticing how there was no doubt in the way Veylor referred to Nyxthar, despite Klaus never telling him that he had already met him.
“Nyxthar is the strongest of us all, so Master… you put him on Earth where he could protect it more actively,” Veylor explained, and Klaus nodded.
“I did meet him, but his tribulation was suspended after sending him to a secret dimension. I guess it’s time for him to come out and have his tribulation,” Klaus said, not wanting to make it obvious, but feeling damn happy with where all this was leading.
He had just added a new person to his army and discovered that the Ant King, who came to him through Asha, was actually more powerful than the bowmaster he had just struggled to defend against.
That alone gave him hope, knowing he would not be facing the heavens alone this time.
Queen Lunara, who had been standing miles away, approached Klaus after he had managed to defend against the arrow and was still in one piece.
“Meet Veylor, the Infernal Bowmaster. He is the subordinate I was talking about,” Klaus introduced the Bowmaster to Queen Lunara, making her raise her brow.
“Veylor, this is Queen Lunara. She is my wife and the leader of a race called MoonBorns.” Klaus wasn’t even done when a smack landed on the back of his head.
“Who is your wife?” Queen Lunara smiled and extended her hand for a handshake.
“Nice meeting you, Veylor,” she said.
“Likewise, Queen Lunara,” Veylor looked at her with eyes filled with hidden meaning, almost as if he were happy seeing her. This didn’t escape Klaus’s notice.
‘Looks like I was right, she and I were indeed a thing in the past, and whoever I was back then was the one who left Veylor and the rest in this place.’
“So, Veylor, do you know where the rest of your friends are? Since you’re here and Nyxthar is on Earth, the other three should be close by, right?”
“Actually, there should be seven of us. However, two are not in this solar system; only five of us remain here.
You wanted to leave all seven here, but after leaving me here, you later found out that having all seven of us here would not only draw too much attention to your home world but also make the heavens pay more attention to it.
So, you took the last two to a place far from here. But don’t worry; they have also awakened now. However, they won’t be able to come because they have their own missions.
But there are five of us, and that is enough for the awakening.
As for the others, one is on the Moon and two are still asleep on Earth. I don’t know if you’ve already sensed the inheritance tower.”
“I’ve already gone through the trials and inherited the bloodlines but haven’t explored it yet,” Klaus answered, gaining new insight into things.
“They will awaken when the gates open. But for now, three of us are awake.”
“Good to know, then. I guess I’d better start making plans to explore that place when it opens in 4 months. However, I must first have my tribulation.”
“But of course. You are welcome to have it here since there are no monsters or other beings here that will disturb you,” Veylor answered, and Klaus turned to Queen Lunara.
“Do you want to watch or cultivate?” Queen Lunara pondered, but before she could answer, Veylor interjected.
“I think she should watch. Afterwards, she can enter the Fire Domain and cultivate. Her Flame element is weak, but with the Fire Domain on this planet, just a few weeks of cultivating here will go a long way. For now, she should watch and gain insight from it.”
“There is a Fire Domain here, huh. Looks like I will be able to enter the Initiate Immunity rank and perhaps awaken the rest of my flames if I cultivate here.”
The Flame Domain is a space made purely of fire. It has no other elemental essence energies, not even spiritual qi. So, those with fire affinity find it a haven to cultivate.
“Then let’s go. I need to break my bottleneck fast. I don’t have much time to waste.” They began flying toward Mars.
After a few minutes, they entered Mars, which greeted them with a red planet housing only sand and mountains made of red sand.
There were no plants nor rivers in sight, and even after expanding his senses for several miles, Klaus sensed nothing that resembled a river.
However, he could sense deep underground a rather hot flame essence radiating with infernal intensity. The two dragons on his arm immediately stirred, clearly hungry to start eating some fire essence.
Klaus found a spot and sat down. He was almost done with the 9th core, so he needed at least a day to fully form it, then the tribulation would descend.
“Master, you should use this instead.” Veylor took a small box sealed with a talisman. Klaus didn’t realize the grade or true form.
“You left this for you,” Veylor added before moving back. Klaus took hold of the box and, as if knowing what to do, he dropped his blood on it, causing the lid of the box to open.
A wave of primal bloodthirsty energy filled the space, causing Veylor and Queen Lunara to move back, distancing themselves several miles.
The bloodthirstiness of the item in the box wasn’t something they wanted pressing down on them.
Klaus looked in the box, and he knew what it was without even asking the senior. His past self had left him a core that remained protected even after millions of years.
He had indeed foreseen this moment and planned for it.
“Demon Core.” He smiled, and then, taking the basketball-sized core, he took a bite. Just like that, he started absorbing the energy into his body, causing his ninth core to be filled with energy.