Chapter 49

The next day, Nathan and Sophie simply sat in the inn, taking turns to cultivate. When cultivating, one was in a very vulnerable position. If interrupted, it could cause a very heavy backlash that might take even years to recover, so they took precautions.

After it was Sophie's turn to cultivate, Nathan looked at his system,

'My evolution is available… let's see what options do I have…'

[Evolution menu]

[Royal Fire Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 150, Strength = 150, Toughness = 100

[Royal Ice Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 150, Strength = 150, Toughness = 100

[Royal Wind Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 100, Agility = 200, Toughness = 100

[Royal Earth Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 150, Strength = 100, Toughness = 150

.

.

.

'The list is far longer this time! And the further down I go, the stronger the options become. But the first four are already amazing. I wonder what else there is in store for me…'

Nathan scrolled down to the bottom, where the strongest three options were placed,

[Royal Undying Berserk Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 400, Strength = 200, Toughness = 200, Defeating 30 opponents stronger than yourself in a life or death battle

[Royal Eternal Night Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 300, Strength = 200, Toughness = 200, Agility= 300, Absorbing Moonlight for 300 days

[Royal Chimeric Patchwork Dragonborn]: (Requirement) Stamina = 300, Strength = 300, Toughness = 300, Blood Essence of 30 Magical Beasts

'!!!'

Nathan's jaw dropped! The last options were more ridiculous than the last!

The [Royal Undying Berserk Dragonborn] was suited for combat only. This choice allowed one to fight those far stronger them himself, and even take their attacks head on with their terrifying Vitality!

The [Royal Eternal Night Dragonborn] was a Mysterious option. It seemed to be related to The Moon and Darkness of The Night. Nathan theorized that this option would grant him extremely powerful and flexible abilities.

The [Royal Chimeric Patchwork Dragonborn] was exactly as it said. It would take the Blood Essence of 30 Magical Beasts, extracting their best traits, and adding them to Nathan. Nathan thought that doing so would also add the body parts of these Magical Beasts to him as well.

'Hmm… All these options sound great. I do not want a race solely focused on combat, and a Dragon with body parts from other Magical Beasts doesn't sound very appealing… On the other hand, [Royal Eternal Night Dragonborn] seems to have everything I could ask for! It can benefit from my affinity to Darkness, and it has the most requirements out of all of them. I will have to accumulate for some time before I can evolve however…'

Nathan nodded to himself. He was in no rush. The problem has already been dealt with and he was safe for now, so he could strengthen his foundation.

'I also got a (Timeless Energy Cultivation Manual Box), but I will open that when I decide to start my Energy Cultivation in two years.'

'Last but not least…'

[Soul Essence Droplets: 790x]

'I can finally kick start The Underworld. I assume the commotion is going to attract some attention, so I will search for an appropriate time…'

Nathan was suddenly hit with a feeling of loneliness, 'Lucy… I miss her… I wonder where she is… also my Brother and Sisters… my birth should have drawn the attention of The Church of The Light here, so they should be relatively safe, but I can't help but worry…'

Nathan summoned the necklace he received from Lucy in their trial. It was from that moment that their rash, yet pure relationship began… The necklace held much meaning to him…

Although he was The Crown Prince, he was not shouldering all the responsibilities alone. He was lucky to have been found by a Captain of The Twilight Guardians. The same could not be said about the others. Their enemies were everywhere, and their allies were too few.

Nathan shook his head, 'They are capable people who underwent the same trials as I did. It isn't so easy to take any of us down. They, too, will shine soon.'

Nathan cleared his thoughts and returned to reading (History of Darkness) as he waited for his guest to arrive…

***

Two Days Later

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky with an orange hue, signaling the end of the day.

Nathan and Sophie were still waiting patiently, as if they didn't care whether their guest came or not.

"Sooo~ How about we give Grandpa a surprise when we go back?" Sophie giggled mischievously. She never hid her intentions from Nate. The same could not be said for others…

"Last time we surprised Grandpa, you had to lie on your belly for an entire day." Nathan knew he couldn't convince her, but he tried. The girl didn't seem to understand the word, 'consequences'.

"Come on~ It'll be fun! We bought so many toys for the kids at the orphanage with the money last time!" Sophie sneakily tried to exploit Nathan's weakness!

Nathan looked at speechlessly… 

"Why don't we surprise your Mother this time?"

Sophie immediately shuddered, "No way! Last time I swapped her wine with juice, and she turned into a demon for an entire month! She chased me all over the mansion! She even called all the servants!"

Nathan shook his head helplessly… Of course he remembered. He was the one who hid Sophie in the end. The Assassins still have nightmares of that time to this day! Aunty Solina used them as scapegoat, and tortured them for the entirety of the month, in the name of 'Special Training'!

"It was your fault that you added salt."

"But it was just a little!" Sophie protested, still unwilling.

"Well, next time, try not to fill half the barrel of her favorite wine with salt." Nathan did not buy her act.

"Hmph!" Sophie had no comeback. Her two-stage plan had worked perfectly! But she couldn't foresee her Mother's unrelenting pursuit!

Indeed! She swapped her wine bottle with juice, and filled the barrel with salt, so when she tastes the juice, and tries to get real wine, she would be double surprised!

Sophie smiled proudly. It was one of her greatest accomplishments!

*Knock*  *Knock*

They looked at each other, and wore their masks.

"Come in." Nathan called.

He sat by the table in the middle of the room, and Sophie stood behind him, ready to take action at a moment's notice.

The door opened, and a man with a mask entered the room. He wore ordinary clothes, and did not hide anything, except his face. The moment he looked at Nathan, he stopped for a moment, before closing the door and taking a seat.

"You wished to see me. Here I am." Nathan had his full attention on the man in front of him.

"Yes. I had wanted to see you for almost six years… never would I have thought that you would be this big when I saw you…" The masked man spoke in a clear voice, without a hint of a threat, but Nathan was immediately on guard.

"Six years… That is a lot of time to sell me to The Church, isn't it?" Nathan said.

"Indeed. Much can change with so much time. But some things… they never change…" The masked man nodded in agreement, and lifted his head,

"You must be Sophie, the one who chose to foolishly follow him, endangering everything you hold dear… Is it worth it? He is the reason you have never seen your Father, and you may never do… yet, you chose to become his servant… how pitiful…" The masked man shook his head, as if lamenting such fate.

Sophie didn't lose her calm at all, much to Nathan's surprise, "It is not for you to decide for me. This is the path I chose, and it is one where I will follow it to the very end. I will not allow you to question my determination!"

The masked man was silenced by Sophie's fiery reply.

"If you have come here to merely insult us, then you have made a terrible mistake… and every mistake demands a price to be paid…"

[Reaper's Gaze]

A terrifying pressure burst out from Nathan and fell upon the masked man's soul, suppressing him with such intensity, that a mortal soul would have disintegrated before even coming into contact!

… But the masked man was still calm, as if he didn't feel anything. Even as Nathan was looking at him, his eyes could only see a veil protecting the man, but he noticed that this veil was the man's own Soul Force!

He retracted his Gaze from him, "Why are you here? If a man of your Strength wants to negotiate anything, you know better that there is someone else you can contact. Someone closer to your own strength."

Both men stared at each other, without giving an inch,

"I had to see for myself." The masked man broke the silence, "I had to see what has become of the boy who was lost all those years ago…"

Nathan felt strange… the masked man… was getting emotional?

"I… I am sorry… I am sorry for not being able to stop them… I am sorry for being too weak, that even now, I can't stand against them. Nathan…" The man removed his mask, revealing his face!

Stoic looking, middle aged man… with deep black eyes and light brown hair… Nathan would never forget that face!

"Forgive your Father… for being unable to protect his family… for being useless…"