Lord of Annihilation

"Did ya' miss me?" a jubilant Ka'lor'ah questioned.

Facing her excited person, Lucius continued to remain as cold as ice. His eyes calmly stared into the crystal, evaluating Ka'lor'ah's current level.

'The energy inside the crystal has increased enormously, equaling a Stage 2 being. Good.' After his evaluation, Lucius nodded his head.

Seeing him simply nod his head, Ka'lor'ah grew unsatisfied and aggrieved.

'How you doing, Ka'lor'ah' or perhaps an 'I missed you teacher.' You could have literally said anything, other than nodding your head! Where is my respect as your teacher?! Ka'lor'ah grumbled within her mind.

Descending from the air, she landed onto Lucius' outstretched palm, while softly cursing. "...such a boring, stupid, disciple. I wonder why I even accepted you back then." 

"What did you say?" Lucius indifferent asked, failing to catch Ka'lor'ah's quiet mumbles.

"Nothing," Ka'lor'ah waved it off, "Where are we right now? What happened during my sleep? How much time has passed?" 

Instead of replying, Lucius mentally shared the information with her. With their souls connected, both their minds were connected to each other, allowing them to share their memories and communicate mentally. 

Of course, this will only work when the parties willingly share. Any attempts at reading each other's minds will be met with failure.

Rapidly devouring the shared information, Ka'lor'ah started to understand the events that had transpired after her slumber, starting from leaving the Icy Planet.

Receiving Lucius' memories, Ka'lor'ah was almost instantly filled with shock.

"WHAT?! Th-this temple! I-it' can't be 'that place', right?!" Ka'lor'ah couldn't hide the astonishment in her voice.

"It should be 'that place', or something related to the 'key'. I personally witnessed the mirage of the temple." Lucius nonchalantly replied, against all odds however, his tone contained a faint bit of excitement.

"This is wonderful!" Ka'lor'ah screamed with exhilaration. He then began to jump in Lucius' palms, glowing with alternating brightness.

Calming herself down, Ka'lor'ah started to communicate with Lucius within his mind. Fortunately, due to her newly increased strength, she was able to barely isolate the two of them from the influence of 'Rule of Cause', allowing them to communicate some secret matters which would otherwise be detected by the Lords.

Any mention of information directly related to them will be detected by the Lords. Thankfully, my abilities have grown after my evolution. Ka'lor'ah sighed to herself in relief and cast a new spell.

[Isolation Barrier]

'To think that little Olivia is connected to the Temple of Fairness! Her Cause is even more amazing than I thought? As expected of my second disciple.'

Ignoring how Ka'lor'ah casually admitted Olivia as her second disciple, Lucius continued.

'You are better versed in ancient history than me? What do you think? Is she related to the Arbiters?' Lucius questioned. 

The Temple of Fairness was a very ancient organization that was established in the 'First Era' by the Overlord. 

Being the leader of all Lords, the Overlord had created the Temple of Fairness during his reign, as a medium to ensure order and balance in the otherwise chaotic Universe. Being under his direct leadership and command, it was the strongest organization in the Universe.

The Arbiters, also called the Executors of Order, were the warriors of the Temple of Fairness. These beings were personally created by the Overlord and acted to maintain the order of the Universe. 

With the Universe having only recently born, conflicts between various species was common over living space and resources. Each day was filled with countless deaths and births, as various species grew increasingly bloody and savage. 

Being the ones chosen by the Overlord, the Arbiters played the role of a referee, making sure that no species went overboard. Their strengths were at the highest having personally received the Overlord's teachings.

With their participation, the chaos in the Universe gradually calmed and peace was built for the first time. The Primordial Species cooperated with each other, sharing technology, resources, and knowledge, resulting in the Universe at its most prosperous.

However, the tides of time were unfeeling and disaster soon struck.

The Overlord suddenly disappeared, resulting in the Temple of Fairness lost their leader and biggest supporter. Having lost its pillar of support, the organization rapidly weakened. Conflict arose with the various species, which was then further instigated by the selfish Lords. 

With the Overlord having gone missing, the possibility of a Lord ascending to the seat of the Overlord and replacing him as the strongest individual in the Universe took root within the minds of the Lords.

However, due to the limitations placed upon them by the Rules resulting in their inability to directly act upon the Universe, the Lords were stuck in an impasse.

Thinking that the key to ascension lay within the Temple of Fairness and the Arbiters who had received the Overlord's teachings, the Lords started to indirectly influence and manipulate the Primordial Races, setting them up against the Temple.

However, even the weakened Temple of Fairness was still much stronger than the other races. With the instruction of the Overlord being their purpose for existence, they fought till the last man executing their sacred duty.

An innumerable number of Arbiters fell, dragging with them thousands of Primordial Races and an uncountable number of lifeforms. The First Era ended with the extinction of the Arbiters and the fall of the Temple of Fairness.

Since then, all knowledge about the Arbiters and the Temple of Fairness disappeared from the Universe. Only the surviving races in the war against the Temple still remember their existence.

Ka'lor'ah race was one of them.

'I know as much as you know. However, seeing the scenes in your memories, the possibility of it being something else is very less. It has to be the Temple of Fairness!' Ka'lor'ah declared.

'We cannot let her go! If we can get something, anything related to the Overlord or the Arbiters, the success of our plan will increase by a large margin! Little Olivia is officially a very, very, very important asset!'

Seeing that her strength was rapidly being exhausted by the isolation barrier, the two of them stopped their mental conversation and returned to verbally talking

"Where is she, right now? I don't see her anywhere. Use that good-for-nothing face of yours to seduce her and bind her to our camp!" Ka'lor'ah exclaimed.

Lucius did not reply but continued to transmit memories into her. 

"What?! You taught her the ideology of a Killer?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" 

"Wait, why this is stupid girl listening wholeheartedly and even accepting it?! No, this can't do! I have to immediately stop her before she turns into another you!"

"Ah? You lost control again? And you...." Ka'lor'ah non-existent pupils shrunk.

"You actually killed a group of Bertarians?! That too the children of the Governor of the largest city in Pectron?!"

"Why did you provoke those bunch of crazies?! You know how petty they are, exacting revenge for the smallest of things! YOu just made our plans in Pectron so much more difficult!!"

"Wait, no.... YOU THEN ATE THEM?!" Ka'lor'ah could feel her imaginary heart collapse.

"Finished! Those crazies are never going to give up chasing us. It's going to impossible to reach Stage 3 in three years."

"Wait, wait, wait... chotto matte! You went to Pandemonium and immediately started a fight with one of the big gangs! Why?! What possible benefit did you see results in this action!!"

"What...?! You can absorb the strengths of the other races and [Annihilation Energy] can nullify soul power?! That's too OP! I demand the GM, this is simply cheating!"

Then, Ka'lor'ah suddenly grew quiet.

"Lucius...."

"...yeah." Lucius nonchalantly spoke.

"Did you seriously dump all your mess into the hands of that little girl and run away?"

"It was a test." Lucius solemnly replied.

"Test my ass! 

"Tell me the truth! Did you or did you not, get excited by the changes to your body and the clues to advancement that you rushed to leave the city and test it?!"

Unbothered by her accusations, Lucius calmly replied: "Advancing my strength is my first priority. Besides, only under immense pressure will her potential be brought out to its fullest."

"Sophistry! Your lies might deceive that inexperienced girl, but cannot deceive me! We have to immediately return before she gets killed or ends up even worse!" Ka'lor'ah urged him.

Staring at the crystal held within his palm, Lucius firmly replied. 

"No." His tone was absolute, leaving no room for debate. 

"Arbiter or not, she was never part of our original plans. As such, while her inclusion would increase the success of our plans, she is not necessary for its success."

"This test will determine her usefulness as a tool." His eyes flashed with disdain and indifference, mixed with a bit of loftiness.

Looking at his gaze, Ka'lor'ah immediately understood that Lucius was currently being influenced by his previous Stage 7 [Killer] personality. 

Under its influence, Lucius' emotions and feelings would be forcibly erased, turning him into an emotionless killer. He would instinctively feel disdain and unlike towards all others, becoming untrusting and uncooperative. 

For a Stage 7 [Killer] turning into an emotionless, unfeeling, murder was both a blessing and a curse. 

It was a blessing because this is his strongest state, making him truly invulnerable, devoid of any and all mental influence(s). 

A curse because, he would no longer feel anything; happiness, sadness, love, hate, joy, pleasure, nothing… he would in the truest sense become indifferent.

Having no emotions and feeling nothing, also meant, having no self awareness or purpose.

And without self awareness or purpose, can a person even be considered to be living? They would simply become a mindless puppet, whose only sense of the world is to kill. 

To kill and nothing else.

This was the cost for unparalleled strength. This was the price for becoming a [Killer].

And Lucius having once reached Stage 7 in this soul had once paid this price.

'I hoped that with his soul changing into a different type, he wouldn't have to walk the same path for a second time. However, it seems I have been too hopeful.' Ka'lor'ah thought in melancholy. 

'However…I won't give up! Your feelings, your emotions, your purpose for living, everything that you sacrificed in your previous life, I will help you regain them!'

'This is my promise to you!' Ka'lor'ah declared.

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