Divine Emperor of Death

"No! I'm telling the truth! Why won't you all believe me? I accidentally heard the experts whispering about it!" That youth looked aggrieved before his eyes teared up as he ran away.

'Uh... What a sensitive fellow... Was he born here too?' Davis's brows twitched as he felt like he had made a child cry.

Maybe they hadn't been allowed to get out of this place until they reached a certain cultivation base or something that made them similar to mortals who relied on feelings and emotions a bit much. Nevertheless, it didn't matter as it seemed like people were searching for him, perhaps for spreading confusion and disorder in this area.

Davis made his way to the place where Nero Alstreim stayed and saw him engaging in a solemn conversation with the Grand Elder-level Experts who had come out of the underground cave. Now he understood that they hadn't exited seclusion to attend his welcome party but to know about the cause of this disturbance and to possibly investigate it.

He heard that they were keeping an eye on the surrounding with full concentration while Ancestor Ezekiel Alstreim had already gone to the other side to check the matter. As for how they knew about it, it seems like there were people on the Infernal Lightning Palace's City who were like spies but not really, as they just did not agree with the Infernal Lightning Palace's method of ruling. They seemed to have informed them of the situation just half an hour ago.

'Mhmm... So these sympathizers... They waited this long to send information to the Alstreim Family's side...?' Davis mused before he saw them disband to take positions to defend this place.

'Haha... There's no need to be this constricted... It's not like I'm going to kill you all...' He couldn't help but inwardly laugh as he walked towards Nero Alstreim.

The man noticed him before his solemn expression changed as he shot him a teasing smile, "Find anything?"

Davis stopped in front of Nero Alstreim and blinked, "Well, exploring was fun..."

"Haha, brat!" Nero Alstreim couldn't help but laugh, "Admit defeat like a man!"

Davis smiled, "There's no need to make the situation seem like it's normal, and also, there's no need to look after me as I can take care of myself..."

"So you know..." Nero Alstreim visibly sighed, "If only the children here were as half as brave as you or my Niera. Every one of them, even the fairly strong ones at the sixth stage, is panicking like this is the end of the world, saying that it is finally time for the people living here to die has arrived..."

"I see... The situation is that bad..." Davis uttered as if sympathizing.

"Might be bad..." Nero Alstreim corrected before he narrowed his eyes, "Say, are you a dependable man?"

"Depends on the people I'm dealing with..." Davis arrogantly answered as his lips curved.

"I see..." Nero Alstreim looked towards the exit, a contemplative expression appearing on his face before his lips moved.

"Perhaps, we Grand Elders might have to head out soon to deal with the impending situation, so that means both me and Keira will leave this place, leaving Niera all alone. I want you to protect her during this time."

Davis became taken aback, "Why me?"

He was fairly new, suspicious to boot as his character was pretty much unknown. Even if they had talked for a while, it wouldn't warrant for him to be requested something like this, and if their perspectives were reversed, he wouldn't ask someone suspicious like him to protect his daughter.

"Because I and almost everyone who has survived the spatial crack know that you're strong as a Law Dominion Stage Cultivator despite having a Mid-Level Law Manifestation Stage Cultivation... Otherwise, you wouldn't have survived the spatial crack that had swallowed you."

"You're genius enough to become the Young Master, or are you already the current Young Master of the Alstreim Family?" Nero Alstreim smiled as he turned to look at Davis.

Davis blinked, appearing to have been caught.

"The reason why you stayed in the underground cave was to comprehend Fire Laws that is extremely useful for Law Dominion Stage Experts, isn't it?"

Nero Alstreim's face looked as if he had seen through everything that there is to him, but Davis was flabbergasted that what he speculated was partly correct and partly wrong that he didn't know what to say to it. He just shook his head.

"I'll try my best..." Davis said, feeling too lazy to explain while knowing that nothing would happen anyway.

"Oh? So you do not deny that you're the Young Master. That means that devious brat Weiss Alstreim was either ousted or killed... Wait, did you perhaps come here to the dangerous central island to escape from him, his act of revenge against you while he was using Grand Elder Elise Alstreim's authority to kill you?" Nero Alstreim appeared to have been taken aback by his own thoughts.

Davis's lips twitched by the other party's imagination.

"So I'm right..." Nero Alstreim grinned, "Don't worry, I won't tell it to grandpa or anyone as long as you protect my Niera, hahaha!"

Davis also chuckled, "You're wrong..."

"Yes, yes, I'm wrong..." Nero Alstreim nodded as if agreeing, but his expression didn't seem like that, causing Davis to ruefully shake his head.

"Think what you want..." Davis shook his head, about to leave but remembered that he had no place to stay. Just when he wanted to ask, blazing ninth stage undulations erupted near the entrance.

It caused the people to quieten down before they all looked as if they were relieved, causing once again for Davis to understand that they all looked up to that existence, perhaps more than they might look up to Ancestor Dian Alstreim if they were to return to the Alstreim Family.

Ezekiel Alstreim's figure became visible as he neared them. He didn't come towards them but hovered in the air after nearing them, towering above the populace as if he was going to announce something as his face looked dire.

"Everyone, the situation outside is quite... safe, but we cannot say for sure as it seems that the entire Infernal Lightning Palace's Experts were all annihilated by a mysterious magical beast that seemed to have an extremely powerful concealment technique."

"This is undoubtedly a piece of good news for us, but we don't know that mysterious magical beast's intent. Would it hunt us as well? If it did, it seemed to only enjoy killing Eighth Stage Experts and above as it did for the Infernal Lightning Palace's Experts, so you all don't need to worry."

All the people with a low cultivation base became relaxed, imagining that they aren't a target anymore, but then, their expressions began to warp into worry, thinking that the people who protected them all this time weren't safe!

"Grandpa, are you sure that this is not a trap set up by them?" Nero Alstreim narrowed his eyes.

Ezekiel Alstreim shook his head, "Although I didn't enter due to the restriction placed upon the city by that mysterious magical beast, I did witness the aftermath the city had suffered from afar with my own eyes. It seemed all of the people there alive believed that the magical beast is the ruler of this sealed space."

"Furthermore, although all their spatial rings and stashes had been taken away, not all of their corpses had been taken away. From what I had seen, only the corpses of High-Level Law Sea Stage Experts above had been taken away by that magical beast."

"Maybe it considered them as a snack..." Nero Alstreim laughed.

Ezekiel Alstreim smilingly shrugged, "I couldn't help but feel the same way. After all, if no one escaped, that certainly means that mysterious magical beast is at the ninth stage! If it came here to attack, I don't know if I will be able to defend, but I will die trying to protect you all!"

"Ancestor..."

The Eighth Stage Experts who were present began to tear up as they felt emotional, and even the people who were apparently safe from the magical beast appeared the same. They didn't feel suspicious of his statement nor doubt it as that was what he did for them from the time they were saved by him from the tyrannical rule of the Infernal Lightning Palace.

"Don't become happy so soon. It's just that I haven't found a damn way back home. Otherwise, who would die for you all!? You idiots!" Ezekiel Alstreim raised his head and roared in laughter, "Ahahaha!"

Davis looked around and saw that everyone had smiles on their faces as they laughed together along with Ezekiel Alstreim. They weren't offended at all and even seemed to have become bright and relaxed as they had a good laugh, contrary to the dull atmosphere he had first seen when he came here. 

'So when there's danger, now we're getting the will to live, are we?' Davis mused that humans can't stand boredom.

He shook his head, wanting to return back to the underground cave rather than waste his time here, but at this moment, Ezekiel Alstreim's eyes lit up as his gaze fell on Davis.

"Oh! I almost forgot that we had a new family member here to welcome today. The people who were in charge of the feast seemed to have already made a sumptuous feast without fail, so we will feast to celebrate Davis Alstreim's presence in the family, although it seems that... his timing couldn't be any worse!"

"Hahaha!"

The crowd burst out further in laughter along with Ezekiel Alstreim while Davis had an amused expression on his face. Now he was being used as a scapegoat to make the atmosphere even more joyful and relaxed.

Nero Alstreim also laughed as he patted Davis's shoulders.

"Brighten up, kid... It might be your last feast, so..." He looked around and bellowed, "So eat up, everyone!!!"

Instantly, a burst of aroma entered their nostrils while people seemed to be coming in with huge plates from another direction!