Divine Emperor of Death

Davis stopped advancing as he saw the Lightning Elemental retreat. Seeing him stop, it stopped retreating as well, and from it, he understood one thing.

'Okay... It has rather become fearful of me now...' Davis became flabbergasted.

Likely, it surged with black lightning to warn him not to come closer out of fear of the death-like energy, but Mival and Zanna misinterpreted it as if it was trying to sneakily attack him.

Davis didn't know what to say to this as he felt trying to use Fallen Heaven's death-like energy before had backfired on him at this moment. Like the Derelict Extinction Lightning that died of utter shock, even though this Lightning Elemental didn't die, it was undoubtedly scared of him now.

It was a Mid-Level Emperor Grade Lightning Elemental, for heaven's sake. He reasonably thought that it wouldn't become afraid, but it didn't certainly seem like the case. He gave a brief moment of reprieve before he continued communicating with it from a distance.

"Look, I cannot promise you the freedom you desire because I need your power. I cannot let you go, but I can assure you that if you were to help me get stronger, I'd help you grow to heights that you can't and will never reach without my help."

"I'll give you some time to consider, so carefully think before you give me your answer. You have time till I ask you again."

Davis relayed his intent before turning away. He could try to be cunning, but in this case, where it had become afraid, he felt being straightforward wouldn't hurt. Besides, if they were going to coexist, their relationship shouldn't be one of distrust. That wouldn't be too good, even if he can suppress it in the future. It was best if he just erases its Will and digests its laws if it was like that.

"Big words you said there..." Mival spoke, but his tone sounded like he was not mocking at all.

Davis and Nadia neared them as he turned to look at them, "That's the confidence I have for my future, and for that, I would like to get your help too."

"Heh, no thanks." Mival sneered, "We prefer to live in seclusion..."

"No worries..." Davis grinned as he headed towards the emaciated tree, "I am a magnanimous individual, so my offer still stands until we leave this island. I just want you all to become guests of the Alstreim Family and protect a few certain individuals and perhaps the family from possible threats when required."

"Of course, I can assure you that you three will be heavily welcomed and not treated as some servants."

"Huh?" Mival became both amused and confused, "You are not inviting us to be subordinates of Dragon Queen Isabella?"

He felt that this brat was playing with him now.

Davis ran his blonde hair with his fingers as he chuckled, "Can't you see that I'm an Alstreim? The Dragon Queen visiting the Alstreim Family and staying there isn't a coincidence. She's giving me face."

Mival narrowed his eyes as he felt more and more confused. He felt like he should warn him now instead of letting him reeling in his delusions.

"Brat, I don't know how much you know about us but let me tell you that we've offended a fair share of Ninth Stage Powerhouses. Of course, it may not be a feud that will end until one of us dies, but it is still enough to cause troubles for the Alstreim Family you're inviting us to..."

"Of course, I've considered that as well. That's why we'll not announce your presence to the world unless it requires so." Davis grinned as he turned to look at them, "You three can live the lives of the Emperor and Empresses as you stay in the grand palaces of the Alstreim Family while staying hidden until a problem that needs more than two ninth stage powerhouses to resolve appears."

"Not a bad deal, right?~"

Not bad? It was indeed not bad, and it was even tempting, but that wasn't the point!

Did this brat have much authority to make this decision first?

This was such a huge decision that could change the diplomatic relationships of the Alstreim Family, and yet a brat could decide this by himself? Sure, he seemed to be special with becoming a subordinate of the Dragon Queen, but that would mean that he belonged to another power instead of the Alstreim Family.

Normally, wouldn't his words be listened to but not really included when making a decision that decides the fate of that power?

Mival could understand these intricacies less and less while Zanna was completely lost. However, she suddenly uttered a sentence as she glanced towards Alia.

"Home..."

Mival felt a heavy burden on his shoulders when he heard her melancholic voice. It was something that Alia wished for many times, but they had failed to obtain.

Not only her, but they were all sick and tired of being attacked in the name of justice when it was truly for no reason other than to flex their might. Even if they picked a new home and lived in seclusion, it would be located within a few years before an expedition party ends up disturbing their love nest.

If they were partly invited as a guest in human power, he and Zanna would be subjected to harassment. If he took them to a fey power, both Alia and Zanna ended up becoming a target of hate, while if Zanna took them to a magical beast power, he would be looked down upon and harassed while Alia might face worse treatment.

This world was not made for the three of them who wished to live together. Most of the enemies they had faced would not try to kill them but practice their skills on him without holding back, causing them to have endless headaches. It was almost like bullying, but they didn't hold back either and injured them on many occasions, causing the attackers to be offended while it resulted in them leaving the place.

He was tempted to at least try now since it was a power where they could easily escape from. If it were the Dragon Queen's power, he definitely would've considered more and finally ended up rejecting it due to the risks involved in it, but for a power like the Alstreim Family, he felt that it wouldn't be that dangerous.

However, he felt that the result would be the same with people giving them the eye no matter where they went except giving reverence for their strength. Nevertheless, whether to accept or decline, he didn't give his answer now, just like the Lightning Elemental that seemed as if it were pondering a lot as it was hovering stably in midair.

Davis reached the emaciated tree and got off from Nadia's back as he flew towards it, his face secretly appearing a bit hopeful.

Indeed, Davis wasn't assured of just reaching the King Soul Stage. With these two Ninth Stage Powerhouses, in addition to Ancestor Dian Alstreim and perhaps, Ancestor Tirea Snow, he may or may not have enough forces to deal with the impending danger. If not, just protect his people if he weren't there for them.

Honestly, he hoped that the danger he felt was just a false alarm at the end. If that was the case, he wouldn't even be even crestfallen but rejoice instead. In any case, feeling that preparing for the eventual wouldn't hurt but become useful, he invited them as if it was a natural course of action he should take. After all, his guts told him that these people weren't bad at all for the first impression.

Moreover, he wanted guards who can think, not dolls who would wait for things to happen before making a move. These Ninth Stage Powerhouses would fit his criteria of allies.

Davis's feet landed on the scorched ground. He didn't touch the viridian sphere lightning fruit because it was a Low-Level Emperor Grade Ingredient that had a mysterious effect on the soul even after one gets reincarnated while being washed by the reincarnation cycle anew.

This reminded him of what Drake spoke about how he collected some resources on an island and ended up being killed by a spatial formation before being woken up as Drake Blackburn. With this resource in front of him, Drake's words no longer appeared like a fairy tale to him.

Nevertheless, his face remained close as he stared at the spherical viridian lightning fruit like a hawk with wide eyes. He remained like that while people watched him.

'What is he doing...?' Mival frowned as he looked at Davis.

However, he quickly didn't bother and concentrated on Alia's breakthrough instead. What Davis does with the viridian lightning fruit wasn't his trouble anymore as he had already given it away.

An hour and a half passed in this silence as a man stared at a fruit that was on a tree while a woman sat in a lotus position as undulations began to blaze unstably from her. It went from the seventh stage's peak and directly jumped to the next level as intense martial energy surged from her body!

*Rumble!~*

Undulations began to rock the place as the air near her began to lightly tremble while an extremely faint image of a viridian-colored fox appeared as an illusion behind her before quickly disappearing into the void. 

Nadia saw it and knew that this woman had probably absorbed the Viridian Lightning Fox's blood essence.

After a few seconds, her powerful and vital martial energy withdrew like a receding tide as it poured into her body. Alia's eyes shot wide open as she took a deep breath as her bosoms heaved, making everyone present know that she had successfully stepped into the Martial Sage Stage!

Mival and Zanna looked at Alia with smiles as a bit of moisture was present in their eyes, while Nadia also looked at them in curiosity. However, there was a single person still staring at the viridian lightning fruit like this whole situation had nothing to do with him!

*Rumble!~*

Heaven and earth energy strangely trembled as the air intensely vibrated!

*BzzZ!~*

The Lightning Sea trembled, and suddenly, strands of lightning shot forwards to the emaciated tree when Davis suddenly opened his eyes!