The bindings of Ancient Ones were fading rapidly as if something was devouring the very power of the world itself.
Seraphelle had said those words, and Achilles couldn't help but think of himself.
Was he not the one assimilating the very planet beneath his feet?
Was he accelerating the return of the Ancient Ones…in real time?
The thought was chilling as he looked toward the flowing figure of the first Ancient One he had ever bound. His voice was even.
"How much time is left before many Ancient Ones rise?"
He needed a proper assessment—and Seraphelle, catching the urgency in his tone, blinked slowly. Coldly. Her hatred of the situation was undisguised as she offered a wicked smile and replied.
"I'm afraid… not much time at all, my dear little master. Within the next day or two, a massive number of powerful Ancient Ones—some who've recovered their power at Dharma Manifestation, even Astral Core Ascension—will rise. Many of them are already within Colony Cities. In the next few days, millions of humans may be enslaved… or killed, my dear little master."
She was doing her part—providing vital information, proving her utility.
That wasn't part of it.
Beside Achilles, Rose narrowed her eyes at the smirking woman who dared to look at her man with veiled cruelty. Even bound, even compliant, Seraphelle made it clear she would do only what was necessary and nothing more.
Rose didn't like that.
Her voice cut through the air like a blade.
"The man who bound you- the one you're speaking to- is your King. You will address him as such. Not 'my dear little master.' Understood?"
Her tone was heavy, regal. A command backed by fire.
Seraphelle's gaze turned icy. She glanced between Rose and Achilles before responding, her voice sharp with ancient pride.
"The greatest truth of Ancient Ones is this- at the core of our existence lies Identity. Pride. You can bind me. You can kill me. But respect? That cannot be commanded. Not even under threat of death or the decimation of my consciousness. I'll follow all his commands, but respect… respect is earned."
"And right now?" she continued with an arrogant tilt of her head, "my respect has not been earned. Oh, don't get me wrong—I enjoy having my life. So I'll fully play along, King…?"
She raised a brow toward Achilles, who responded coldly.
"Mmm. King Primal, then. Your wishes are my command. As for my utility… there's a nearby mountain bloom. Some old friends of mine are heading there. Aeonic and Primordial Treasures are being born with the rise of this new Age. I can help you survive the journey."
She was proving her usefulness once again even as sparks flew between her and Rose.
Achilles nodded. Possibilities bloomed in his mind.
But first… he would secure Neon!
Seraphelle, the Draconic Eidolarch.
The name left a foul taste in her mouth as she stared at the man who had somehow bound her.
She who had walked through ages, who had commanded entire regions. To be tethered by a human?
And no matter how much she tried to escape, the bindings remained impenetrable. She didn't understand how he was doing it—and that terrified her.
She would not lose her consciousness. No matter what, she had to stay alert. She had to understand how to escape the intricate threads that coiled around her being.
'I will bind you to time itself after I regain Astral Core Ascension. You will wish you killed me…'
The thought burned through her as she observed the human who had shattered her pride.
After telling him just how utterly screwed the human race was, after warning him of the rise of the Ancient Ones, she expected panic. Hesitation. Fear.
She saw him raise his hand to the skies.
Primordial and Evolutius Energy surged around him—an impossible fusion, emerging effortlessly. From his palm, tens of thousands of multicolored spores materialized, descending like a rain of starlight from the heavens above.
Multicolored rain, drifting across the skies and land..
They fell silently over the hundreds of thousands of Evolutius Beasts.
Seraphelle could only stare.
This kind of power should have taken tremendous energy, yet Achilles didn't even break a sweat.
Was he already that far along in his Dharma Manifestation?
She grew more cautious, more stern. He wasn't just powerful. He was unpredictably powerful.
The spores drifted downward, unnoticed by the beasts—until…
Hundreds of thousands of Evolutius Beasts began to twitch, their bodies cracking, spasming. Then—draconic wings burst from their backs. Their eyes dulled. The madness faded.
They weren't just mutated—they were transformed.
Mindless and majestic, they lifted into the air—obedient.
They saluted with a King's Respect.
Hundreds of thousands of beasts crossed their limbs to their chests, paying their King's Respect toward one man in the skies.
It was chilling. Beautiful. Terrifying.
Even Seraphelle's face soured. This… this was too much power.
She needed far more strength to ever challenge him again.
"Oh. Did I forget to mention? I can hear your thoughts."
Her mind went silent.
He had turned to face her, voice calm. Cruel.
"You want to trap me in an endless prison of time. After you regain your power? You're trying to study and understand me? I can hear everything you think, Draconic Eidolarch. You think of betrayal again, and your consciousness is gone. You'll be devoured entirely."
"You fuck around…and you'll find out."
He had repeated everything she had only thought.
Seraphelle bowed her head, trembling.
She wanted to curse, but she didn't even feel safe doing it internally.
Her whole existence buzzed with unease.
How could he possibly hold this kind of power?
This… was power that belonged to the Elder Ancients—the ones even she feared.
"Oh? Elder Ancients?" he said, eyes gleaming. "Tell me about those."
He really could hear her thoughts.
Defeat hit her like a tidal wave.
There was nothing to do but… divulge everything.
In the Cenotaph Wild Lands.
Across the Colony Cities ruled by the Thirteen Dynasties.
As the Organic and Inorganic Terrestrial Body of the world was continually assimilated by one man…
The bindings broke faster.
Evolutius Catacombs began to hum and crack.
And from them, Ancient auras rose.
Across Cenotaph Wild Lands.
The earth split, and massive celestial structures—relics from the olden eras—rose from the soil like buried titans.
Ancient Holy Lands emerged.
And within them…complex, monstrous existences began to stir.
The time of the Ancient Ones making their return…had truly begun.