“I know that you like for the official meetings to immediately get to the point, so let’s go with that today,” Birch said as they took a seat in one of the many rooms in the palace. The room was well-prepared, with amenities such as water and a few snacks already set on the table. Aron, Rina, Ayaka, and Lee sat on one side, while Rayyan, Birch, Oak, Crabapple, Mangrove, and Cypress sat on the other, facing each other.“I would like that too,” Aron said calmly, answering with confidence. He didn't appear at all like someone attending his first official meeting with peers who could be considered equals in terms of leadership. If Rayyan's government were counted as a separate empire, it would rival his own, at least in terms of population count, which exceeded that of Aron’s empire.“In the past, I have acted as the representative for both the Proximians and my fellow tree folk. Today, everyone here will speak and represent themselves before we decide on the best course of action for ou
Seeing the room still in silence, indicating their curiosity for more details, Aron decided to elaborate.“I received what you call a blessing a few years before the formation of the empire,” he began. “This gave me the opportunity to delve into the study of mana well before it became widely known. Coupled with my company’s advancements in quantum computing and VR, I had access to time acceleration and advanced simulation capabilities. These technologies allowed me to effectively spend centuries, alongside my AI assistant, developing and refining the system from the ground up. We went through countless trials and errors, and I personally experienced many failures, including several catastrophic ones, before mastering the basics and discovering how to harness mana for various effects.”Aron’s explanation was a blend of truth and strategic omission. He carefully avoided mentioning that he had acquired foundational knowledge from the system and that his wife’s and his citizens' awakenin
While the meeting was taking place, the security forces of both sides were carefully monitoring the palace. Although the possibility of an incident was almost nil, they needed to be ready for anything. By the slimmest chance that something did happen, their leaders would need to be rescued immediately. This philosophy underpinned the current small contingents responsible for keeping an eye on the palace, while the rest of the security forces focused outward.However, the peaceful monitoring only lasted for so long. In a fraction of a second, two massive roots emerged from opposite sides of the palace wall. They spread rapidly, intertwining and clashing against the walls of the palace, enveloping it as if it were a cocoon.“.......”There was a silence from those near the vicinity of the palace, but their surprise was more about the symbolic of what had happened. The sudden cocoon of roots meant that the emperor, his wife, and the leadership of the Proximians were now confined within
“What is the meaning of this?” Aron demanded, his voice cutting through the tension as he looked directly at the tree folk delegation. Instinctively, he had cast a protective shield around his group the moment he sensed the massive surge of mana. This swift action had caught everyone else on his side off guard, just as the palace began to shake and emit an ominous creaking sound."Nothing personal, we're just making a logical choice," Oak responded through his massive humanoid form, looking at Aron as if he weren't one of the two who had just tried to crush them.“Aron narrowed his eyes. "A logical choice? By attacking us during a diplomatic meeting? What do you plan to do after killing us? I’m sure you know that killing me won’t mean the empire will fall. They will not stop seeking revenge against you. Our current military is more than capable of that,” Aron responded in the same calm manner, making the other humans in the room get goosebumps at his composure.“Do you think I’m worri
Everyone in the room immediately felt a surge of pressure ripple through the air, making the atmosphere heavy. The sudden change took everyone by surprise, even the two perpetrators behind the current situation, as the pressure was more than expected.Before anyone could react, two shields materialized around Oak and Mangrove, confining them along with anything nearby within the oval barriers. In an instant, the interiors of the shields combusted into flames, incinerating everything inside within seconds before the fire stopped and the shield diactivated. As the shields deactivated, fine ashes fell to the ground where Oak and Mangrove's humanoid forms had once been.“..........”“.........”“.........”The room plunged into a deeper silence as everyone tried to comprehend what had just occurred. Even Rina, his wife, was stunned, her mind racing to process the rapid and dramatic turn of events. The swift and decisive nature of Aron's actions left everyone in a state of shock, their br
[A/N: Get 50% off privileged chapters on Patreon. Details in the (discord.gg/pmDBYQ8un7) announcement.]……………………………………………………………………………………………………………{That’s all,} Nova said as she finished updating Aron on the situation. It had taken only a few seconds for her to do so since she delivered just the bullet points, and Aron filled in the gaps himself.“Thanks, keep updating me on any changes,” Aron said before looking down at the cocoon, which now appeared as intact as it had been from the beginning. It had fully healed and was no longer under attack from the ships, giving it a moment of respite.He waited to see if the cocoon would react or shift its focus toward him, but even after a few moments, nothing happened. {I think they're still maintaining it to imprison her and are planning to deal with you first before returning to handle her,} Nova hypothesized to Aron.“I would have done the same if I were the one attacking us,” Aron agreed. He understood their strategy: imprisoning Rina wou
[A/N: Get 50% off privileged chapters on Patreon. Details in the (discord.gg/pmDBYQ8un7) announcement.]……………………………………………………………………………………………………………“I won’t beat around the bush. I need everyone to work together to resolve this situation swiftly and minimize damage,” Aron began, addressing all the targeted personnel, as usual, keeping to his word of not beating around the bush from the start.“For starters, let’s review what led us to this point when everything seemed cordial just moments ago,” Aron began rhetorically. Before anyone could respond, a video played, showing the two tree folks revealing their plans to kill and take over shortly before Aron had taken decisive action against them.This revelation sent shivers down the spines of everyone watching, regardless of their power scale. None could match his speed and decisiveness, which was both awe-inspiring and intimidating.“I understand that this video might seem abrupt and lacking context, but I won’t waste time elaborating on i
Aron stood unmoving as his shield effortlessly tanked the barrage of attacks—fireballs, wind slashes, earth spears, magic missiles, and lightning bolts—all basic but potent spells. Despite the shield's ease in absorbing the hits, the surrounding landscape bore the brunt of the onslaught, with the damage inflicted on his surroundings telling a very different story.The fireballs, each the size of a bowling ball, detonated against the shield, leaving behind craters several meters wide, some with glassy reflections at their centers from the intense heat. And that was just the beginning—other attacks gouged the ground, leaving deep fissures and scorched earth, revealing the true power behind the seemingly basic spells."Each of them should be at the level of the strongest known awakeners," Aron mused, assessing the power of their attacks as the first barrage subsided. He hadn't just tanked the attacks for the sake of it; he was using this initial round to gauge how much mana each strike