Strings Of Domination

The entire hall shook like crazy as the wall behind the three pillars separated and moved to the sides, revealing a second Jade Door with the same appearance as the first one at the other end of the great hall.

"What is happening here? Why does a second Jade Door appear now?" Nash seemed confused by the sudden change of events while Uncle Ben looked at the emerging gate with a dumbstruck expression, his jaw slightly open from the sudden shock.

TREMBLE!

The tremor continued to shake the whole hall for about three minutes before coming to a complete halt, turning everything back to normal once again. However, even then, Nash and Uncle Ben remained silent, and only when they looked at each other and saw the shock together with the confusion in each other's eyes did the two finally move and walk before the Jade Door.

"Do you think you can open it?" Uncle Ben asked from Nash once they arrived before the white gate, scarcely hesitant if he should touch the door or not; for some strange reason, something deep inside him told him to avoid getting into touch with the Jade Door.

As for Nash, he didn't get a sensation akin to Uncle Ben's. As a fact, he even felt the urge to touch and push the door open as soon as possible which surprised even himself.

'I don't think there are even more treasures behind these doors as I don't feel any resonance. Strange...' Nash thought to himself as he extended his arm and placed his palm onto the smooth and cold surface of the Jade Door.

[You have the appropriate Rank to challenge the Ancestor's Trial!]

[Do you wish to challenge the Trial?]

"What?" Nash's eyes widened as the rows of texts appeared in his line of sight, but he quickly regained his calm and studied the words keenly.

Seeing as Nash remained silent, Uncle Ben felt his curiosity getting piqued, hence asked, "So? You can open it?"

Nash didn't reply instantly but fell into silence. Only when he thought over the thing properly did he pull his hand back, watching as the words in front of him blurred and vanished as if they were not even there to begin with.

"It seems there is a trial behind these doors and I was given the chance to open it or not," Nash explained without keeping anything away from Uncle Ben as a secret.

"A trial?" Uncle Ben touched his chin, immersed into his own thoughts, and asked, "Then why don't you try and see what kind of trial is behind these doors? It can't be anything dangerous, can it?"

'It can't?' Nash showed a bittersweet smile in his heart in response.

If his uncle would know that his soul was almost erased from existence a week ago in another trial, would he say the same thing? Nash pretty much doubted it, but as his uncle didn't know the truth about that story yet, Nash was not surprised to hear such a question.

As Nash thought about this he gave one final glance at the Jade Door before he turned around and began to walk toward the exit with calm steps.

"Huh? Wait, where are you going? You won't open it and see what kind of trial is behind that door?" Uncle Ben felt surprised by Nash's sudden leaving and quickly followed him.

"I will, but not now. First, let's unseal everyone's Legacy. Their desire deserves to be first than a mere trial, right?" Nash asked with a calm smile and without waiting for his uncle's reply he hastened his steps.

"Yes, but..." Uncle Ben seemed to say something, but once he remembered his nephew's character and personality, he just sighed helplessly and followed him from behind while spending his time examining his status that only he could see in silence.

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Somewhere inside the Human Dimension, on an unknown planet where a single but majestic castle stood solely on a seemingly eternal mountain, a Sky Beast clad in crimson armor ran through the hallways of the palace with an excited expression.

Bam!

"Lord Ozr-! Your Highness! Good news! We have finally found the escapees and hopefully the princess too!" slamming the door into the main hall wide open, Crimson Wings raced inside, his armor's chest plate moving up and down in haste showing just how fast he has run to deliver those few words.

Lord Ozren, who was sitting behind the huge circular table with Clavellina sitting closely on his side, when saw that someone burst into the hall without his approval turned furious but quickly calmed down and jumped up onto his feet when he heard the words spoken.

"WHAT? Where are they?"

Crimson Wings nodded and without a second thought took out a small object from his pouch on his waist before placing it onto the table. Soon, a hologram with a diameter of about ten meters appeared in the air, showing a single emerald planet in its very center.

"About a week ago, we have caught a bizarre energy motion coming from this deserted planet which we were unable to identify. At first, we believed it was only a beast's aura sweeping through the cosmos, but after looking deeper into the matter, we have found this." as Crimson Wings said those words, he zoomed the image onto a specific point on the planet, revealing a spaceship which was half hidden among the dense woods.

When Lord Ozren and Clavellina saw the spaceship which was obviously the one seen on the first tape where the humans escaped, both of their eyes lit up with excitement and increasing killing intent.

"As Your Highness can see, that is the spaceship with which the humans escaped. Even the type and appearance matches with descriptions that had been hijacked from Planet Azure." Crimson Wings explained everything with enthusiasm, feeling this was the perfect opportunity for him to gain his lost respect back.

'If I play this right and can capture those dogs without Lord Ozren's doing a single thing, I can not only get my status back but even advance one, if not two positions forward! Haha, this is the best! Truly a blessing in disguise!' Crimson Wings laughed merrily in his heart and waited for Lord Ozren to speak, which happened almost instantly he finished talking.

"Now I got you. Amael!" Lord Ozren grinned scarily before shouting a name loudly despite it was only him, his daughter, and Crimson Wings standing in the hall; apart from the three of them, there was no one else.

But to Crimson Wing's greatest shock and terror, a figure with a majestic and handsome face stepped forward from right behind his back and kneeled, showing his respect to Lord Ozren at the other side of the hall.

'W-When?!' Crimson Wing felt his legs turn to jelly when he realized he failed to notice the creature's aura behind him all this time, indicating he could have been killed just now without him knowing what took his life away!

'H-He... Was he all this time behind me? But how? I didn't even feel his presence, he appeared like a ghost!' Crimson Wings stared at Amael on his side with sweat covered face while trying to control his body not to fall back from the sheer fear it was currently coursing through it!

"Did you call me my Lord?" Amael asked in a calm voice as he lowered his head, almost like he felt unworthy of seeing Lord Ozren's face.

"Yes, go and assemble a team. Once you have everyone you need, take him with you and capture that human who kidnapped my daughter and bring him back to me, alive." Lord Ozren said coldly, his gaze as sharp as a razor and it was obvious he was already imagining the things he will do with Nash once he gets him between his finger.

"Understood. And what about the rest of the fugitives?" Amael asked, his gaze still fixed on the ground before his feet.

Upon hearing the question Lord Ozren just showed a chilling and somewhat devilish smile, and said coldly, "Just kill them. All of them. Their lives are akin to trash, meaningless."

"I see. As you wish, my Lord." Amael nodded and stood up, shifting his gaze at Crimson Wings on his side and with a stare that felt like had the ability to freeze one's blood, said calmly, "Follow me."

Crimson Wing nodded nervously when he saw the piercing stare on his skin and after bowing at Lord Ozren and Clavellina with greater respect than before, he quickly followed Amael out of the hall on seemingly shaky legs.

Once they left and the door was closed once again, Clavellina looked at his father and after placing her hand gently on his tense shoulder, asked, "What will you do with that human once he will kneel before you?"

Lord Ozren upon hearing his daughter's question snorted coldly and said, "Isn't that already obvious?"

"You will kill him?" Clavellina asked curiously, but to her surprise, Lord Ozren shook his head and said with a scary smile, "No, that would be no fun for me after all the things he had done. I will turn his life into such hell where he will wish he was never even born!"

After saying that and remaining silent for a while, he turned to look at his daughter and asked with a slightly raised brow, "Why do you ask anyway?"

Clavellina, however, just shrugged casually, and after standing up to stretch her sore body parts, displaying her sharp curves more than normally, she smiled and said, "For no reason, I was just curious, that's all."

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A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to leave your thoughts behind! <3