Unexpected Meeting

After we killed the Violet Tattooed Bear, we entered the Valley and finally arrived at the Core Layer of the Sunset Monster Mountain Range. During our journey through the Valley, we only saw several General Level monsters that ran away when they sensed our aura.

"Now what?"

I asked Hela as I looked around the enormous mountains; even the smallest one was highest than Mount Everest on Earth.

"Nothing... we will hunt and search for Ereshkigal."

Hela answered as she readied her Necroswords.

As we were prepared to move forward, suddenly, I heard someone talking.

"You are finally here."

We both turned around to see a handsome young man with long flowing red hair with, uplifted dark red bangs with a third eye on his forehead. He wore a heavily stylized three-piece suit-type outfit consisting of a black waistcoat over an untucked collared white shirt, an orange cravat, and magenta-colored trousers tucked into light brown boots. The most distinguishing feature of the outfit is the stylized high-collared robe jacket with a length that falls to the wearer's shins: the upper part and shoulders of the robe jacket are dark-colored, the rest being a teal color and the robe jacket's trimmings are gold-colored; on each shoulder is a large gold-colored Ω-symbol, on each outer forearm are three gold-colored strips of fabric and the robe jacket ends in large white cuffs. The outfit is finished with white gloves.

He gripped a sword that looked like katana in his right hand, and in his left, he had a walking cane.

When I looked at him, I felt absolutely nothing. Not even an ounce of any kind of energy... he seemed like an ordinary average human.

"What has brought Your Imperial Majesty to a place like this?"

I asked as I stepped forward before Hela, signaling her with my hand to lower her weapons. As I already know who this person was, and with his power, he could kill both of us with a wave of his hand... it would be easy, like squashing a bug.

"The right question should be not what. But rather who, young traveler."

He said with a smile as his third eye opened slightly, and my eyes widened in shock.

"Then it would be most appropriate to talk somewhere in private."

I said as he tapped with his cane on the ground three times, suddenly, the environment around me changed, and I was sitting in a garden of sorts?

It was filled with peach trees and sakura. When I looked forward, I noticed those peaches weren't ordinary fruits but rather Peaches of Immortality.

I wasn't in the Underworld.

And Hela seemingly remained in the Underworld.

"I see you like the place here... I always go here to relax my mind."

Said the young man as he came to me, and we both sat down cross-legged.

"Now allow me to introduce myself, though you already know my title, the Jade Emperor. My name is Okhwang."

Said the Jade Emperor Okhwang with a slight gentlemanly bow.

"Zeoticus Gremory-Lucifer."

I did the same.

"It is interesting to meet a fellow reincarnator... though your rebirth was devised by someone else and mine by my own."

Stated Jade Emperor Okhwang plainly. As I heard that, I froze in shock as I looked at Jade Emperor Okhwang.

"What? Did you think that reincarnators were rare? Or perhaps your own was an accident? Come and drink this."

He said as he gave me a cup of beautifully fragrant tea. I gulped the tea down in one go, as I didn't even have time to savor the wonderful taste of one of the most precious tea leaves in the entire Draconic Deus.

"You should now feel better."

He said as I nodded. Indeed I felt much calmer.

"You have mentioned that my own rebirth wasn't accidental... I have always wondered if it was indeed like that."

I said as it was useless to hide more information, especially from someone who appeared to be stronger than The Great Red.

"I can see remnants of power of the artifact that caused your reincarnation... pretty interesting. Someone of great power. My own body here is just a mere clone of my True Body in a different Universe which is built upon cultivation, but even my True Body is a bit weaker than an entity that meddled here... probably only..."

He suddenly stopped in his speech as he looked at me and waved his hand as some energy entered my body. Shortly it vanished like it never existed in the first place. Soon after, if felt something change in my body and it gave me a very warm feeling, and I felt like I was freed from something.

"You have passed even before the test."

He muttered in a very quiet voice, but I still managed to catch it.

"I would like to invite you to Longinus Dreizhen Orden. Here take this."

He said and took out something that looked exactly like a Tarot Card of the Devil Major Arcana. As I touched the Devil Tarot Card, it started shining brightly in a pitch crimson color, as it soon broke down to crimson particles that all flew and were absorbed into my body.

The Devil Tarot Card wasn't the only thing I got. Still, I additionally obtained plenty of information about the Astral Boundary, other Universe, important factions and powerhouses, and about Longinus Dreizhen Orden.

In truth, it will take a week to process all information I got from the Tarot Card, which is now fused with my soul. The Card itself wasn't only some kind of proof of membership, but also it was a top Empyrean Grade soul and mind protection treasure. Additionally, it had many other functions, most of which were not usable.

Something absolutely priceless no matter what Universe you were in.

Longinus Dreizhen Orden was a rather new organization, created only short tens of millennia ago. Altogether, it will have only 13 members in the future; now, only 6 seats were filled, 7 with me included.