Chapter 2 - Prologue 2 - The Red Sovereign (Continued)

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Hello, new reader.

This novel isn't really what you may call an exciting work. It's slow-burning, maybe dull, a bit hard to read, and has slice-of-life elements. Not really the elements of a popular novel. Despite that, I still hope you give it a try for at least the first 20 chapters.

Anyways. On to the story. Please, enjoy.

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"I have never wronged you all. In fact, I can say that my existence was nothing but a blessing to the endless realms. You call my ways 'radical' but why have you all benefitted from them?

"Incredible artifacts and alchemical treasures in exchange for your void resources. Void resources that by the way, I can just find in the infinite realms myself. I could have just not bothered to trade with you all, but with my generous heart, I tried to share as much as I can.

"No. I already know the answer. I already know the hypocrisy of you so-called Sovereigns. You, Gold Sovereign. Greed! Really? You, Iron Sovereign. Envy! Naturally, but I never thought you'd actually act on it to the extreme. You are all acting like mortals. You, Green Sovereign. You especially. I never thought you to be like this..."

While the Red Sovereign is sincerely calling out the Sovereigns' hypocrisies, he is internally glad that the Sovereigns are sparing him the time to let him speak; resulting in his men, well on their way in evacuating Okuba, to a place he recently discovered himself; a place only he knows where.

"ENOUGH!" The Gold Sovereign cannot tolerate the Red Sovereign's words anymore.

"Why? Gold Sovereign? Can't your Sovereign's heart not take it? I wonder how you even became a sovereign with such a weak resolve? Just admit it! What you have renounced in your laws and arts as evil, you're here doing it! Admit it, and you will feel good." The Red Sovereign says, his voice concealing a hidden spiritual attack to crumple the Golden Sovereign's Cultivator Heart.

The Red Sovereign's strike proves true as "*URGH*" the Golden Sovereign feels his heart collapse and his body shorty collapsing after.

"Gold Sovereign!" The Green Sovereign acts to assist the Gold Sovereign immediately.

The move is enough for the 108 cultivators' formation to be in disarray. Seeing that his plan worked despite only momentarily, it is enough for the Red Sovereign and blasts out his Sovereign's domain.

The off-guard Sovereigns feel their blood run cold. Their faces frozen in shock makes the Red Sovereign smile sinisterly.

He is about to go into further action when the White and Black Sovereign suddenly block his way, buying enough time for the intruding Sovereigns to get back in formation.

"W-WHY?" The Red Sovereign cannot believe the actions of the White and Black Sovereign just took against him.

"Red Sovereign, my friend. This is not betrayal. This is for the good. Had you wanted to just defend and restrain, and spare them after doing so, we would not have acted. Now that you are resolved to wiping them out, we cannot let that happen." The White Sovereign says, sadness apparent in her eyes.

"Forgive me, my friend. I know your resolve, and once you've decided, I know that not even yourself can stop what you're about to do. I know that your wrath is righteous. I know that, my friend. But you exacting your righteous vengeance will bring untold destruction and loss to the endless realms." The Black Sovereign says, his face wearing a complicated expression.

The two's reasons for their actions console the Red Sovereign. However, his friends' words are correct and it is indeed too late.

"I see…" The Red Sovereign says in regret at his actions, but releases all his limiters nonetheless, preparing to fight.

"Y-you!" Black Sovereign and White Sovereign are shocked at the sudden rise of the Red Sovereign's cultivation. The two always thought they were only slightly inferior to the Red Sovereign in power, but now, they feel like children in comparison to his real power.

The Red, White, and Black Sovereigns have been of friends with each other for countless of eons. Despite their differing principles, they have come to respect and understand each other's ways and their powers.

The Black Sovereign is the most powerful Evil Cultivator, the White Sovereign is the most powerful Righteous Cultivator, and the Red Sovereign is the most powerful Neutral Cultivator. The three, being seen as amicable to each other and their equality in power, the people of the four highest realms dubbed them as the "Three Overlords".

Currently however, in front of the most powerful people of the four highest realms, it seems that the Red Sovereign has claimed the right to a title for himself.

"Overlord!" White Sovereign says in reverence, her will to fight waning by a bit.

"No. My friend. But I'm halfway there. I don't even know if the power I see in the distance is that of an Overlord's or just a part of it. The infinite void is indeed infinite." The Red Sovereign laments.

"White. We have to move. NOW!" The Black Sovereign recovers from his shock and he takes the place of the Golden Sovereign in the formation. After familiarizing himself with the formation, he leads the remaining hundred and seven Sovereigns to attack.

*Schinggg* *Blast* *Boom* *Bang* *Slice*

All sorts of powerful attacks, fueled by primordial essences from the hundred Sovereigns rain upon the Red Sovereign. The Red Sovereign on the other hand is doing well in defending himself.

While the Red Sovereign defended well, he did not come out of it unscratched. While he is powerful, a combined and orderly attack from a hundred formation-enhanced Sovereigns is just too much for him to take on alone.

*Zmmm* the Red Sovereign however is not all pure power, but has wisdom as well. He recovers his shallow injuries quickly while preparing an attack of his own.

*ZMMMM*

He then gathers power as much as he can from the void and reinforces his body. In his hands, he forms an incorporeal spear made of void energy. With his weapon ready, he charges forward.

With his spear and him being one, the Red Sovereign's powerful kicks, punches and spear thrusts his opponents' arms, legs, and in one lucky shake of his shoulder, one Sovereign's life is put out.

The Red Sovereign, showering in other Sovereigns' blood, is reminding his enemies why he was granted the title Red.

The Red Sovereign's chain of attacks has its limits, however and impossible to go on. He fakes charging a powerful attack which the Sovereigns were foolish enough to prepare to defend, giving him plenty of time to retreat.

The Black Sovereign immediately notices that the Red Sovereign's spear is not made up a Sovereign's essence. The spear feels as if it is but a mortal's weapon, but a mortal's weapon cannot possibly injure Sovereigns. He can only arrive at the only possible conclusion. "V-void Energy." He utters, fear starting to grow in his heart.

He is reminded of what he read from the journals of the Sovereigns who passed in the long past.

|... that void energy, can only be used by a cultivator who has glimpsed at the real form of the void ... |

|...the overlord. Neither mortal or eternal but simply exists with the void...|

He is not given time to appreciate the Red Sovereign's spear more as, he feels behind him the waves upon waves of primordial energy released by the injured Sovereigns hurriedly growing themselves new limbs.

"Black, concentrate." The White Sovereign tells the Black Sovereign as she releases a technique and her two arms multiplies into eight.

"Treasures." She then commands the other Sovereigns as she herself equips each of her eight arms with all sorts of Soul Weapons. Not long after, they attack the Red Sovereign once again.

*VOooommmvvv*

The Red Sovereign, seeing the upcoming wave of attack is at least ten times more powerful than the last, pulls out his own defensive treasures and formations and surrounds himself with them as quickly as he can.

*CRASHHHH* The attacks soon arrive again. His formations and treasures however, one by one, are starting to break, pressed to their limits by his enemies' attacks.

While the treasures buys him time, he gathers the void energy again, much, much more than the last, and submits his fate to luck. The void energy he is gathering this time, might be too much for his body and soul to tolerate, but he has no choice.

While he is now considered the most powerful person in the endless realms, the hundred or so Sovereigns surrounding him are still the most powerful people one can find aside from himself.

He also notices that the Sovereigns have used alchemical treasures he sold them to pump their power up for this battle.

As the last of his defensive treasures broke, the Red Sovereign goes on the move; he dodges, deflects, and reflects each attack remaining, while counterattacking a tide of techniques of his own to the Sovereigns. His attacks this time claims not only limbs, but lives of tens of Sovereigns.

"Damn-" The Red Sovereign can only curse as he cannot make more damage; treasures, weapons, and armors he himself sold eons ago, being used against him now gives him a bitter sense of irony. He is not yet ready to give up however, and fights the hardest he has ever fought in his life.

His body soon runs out of void energy, and while no attacks landed on him during his turn, his body has all sorts of injuries from the strain of absorbing too much void energy earlier.

As he is about to retreat, his way is once again blocked by the Black Sovereign and White Sovereign while preparing a two-pronged attack. Their techniques, two of the many that the he himself helped them polish, and is supposed to be used for a Devil Overlord when the time comes, are now used on him.

The memories with the two flashes in the his mind and he freezes in his movements. The momentary hesitation costs him huge. The Black Sovereign's gauntlet lands heavily on his chest, and the White Sovereign's long sword cuts a quarter of his neck.

"*GUHH*" The Red Sovereign quickly retreats as he tries to recover as fast as he can.

Just as quick as his sentiments for the two flashed in his mind, the Red Sovereign also quickly suppresses them.

The Black and White Sovereigns in his eyes, are no longer his friends, but creatures that threatens his existence. While recovering, he also feels the surviving inhabitants of the Okuba Plane, to the last person, have finally evacuated.

He sighs in relief and smiles.

"Okuba is no longer Okuba without its people. I too, am no longer the Red Sovereign."

After letting go of his final sentiments, *Hummmmmmm* he suddenly feels that the power he has been chasing starts to come closer. The allure, the temptation of such power overpowers the Red Sovereign's desire to kill and he closes his eyes.

He no longer bothers defending himself and instead basks in the feeling of the mysterious void, to try and understand it.

To the other Sovereigns, the Red Sovereign, at the moment, looks very vulnerable; a perfect target to kill with a perfect onslaught.

With the White and Black Sovereigns' lead, the remaining Sovereigns combines again in a new formation perfect for their number. After doing so, they charge their attacks to the last drop of their strength and rains them on the Red Sovereign's body.

The Red Sovereign's body is cut, punctured, and maimed but as if he does not care and does not feel pain, he is not opening his eyes nor show any signs of fighting back.

After the last attack lands, every single Sovereign collapses, not one of them having the strength left to fight. To their shock, the Red Sovereign, who now looks like a standing regurgitate of a primordial beast that had its fill, is still somehow breathing.

"*Huff* *Huff* We- we've failed?" The Black Sovereign cannot believe what he is seeing.

" *Wheeze* *Wheeze* I hope not. He is now in his last straws. His injuries are beyond saving." The White Sovereign tries to console everyone.

Soon however, as if making the White Sovereign's consolation useless, they see the Red Sovereign open his eyes and look at them.

This time, his gaze shaking their souls. The feeling of new power from his gaze alone put utter fear in their hearts.

"Overlord." The Black Sovereign, utters weakly, in reverence.

The Red Sovereign's new power is something that they can no longer understand but only feel. The Red Sovereign in front of them has an aura of a mortal yet from his gaze, they know that he has now the power they cannot even dream to have; being one with the Void.

In the next moment, to their relief, as if Red Sovereign is talking to their very essence, "We're done here. No more fighting", he says, his will of vengeance finally disappearing.

They somehow feel that he is not asking to be feared, only to be awed.

It does not take them long however to realize that Red Sovereign's injuries are not healing.

As if answering their observation, "Being an Overlord is lonely. I'm glad I won't live to suffer through it." They hear The Red Sovereign say.

While they are confused at the meaning of his words, they see his physical form slowly dissipate into nothingness until it is only the soul that remained. They then witness his soul form smile before it starts dissipating as well.

Unlike the physical form that faded into nothing, the Red Sovereign's soul dissipates into silver light that showers upon the sovereigns. While his essence soothes them once again, each of the Sovereigns feel their understanding of their respective laws deepening as they inherit some of the Red Sovereign's own wisdom applying to their respective insights.

The Okuba Plane, which was at the point of breaking from the Sovereigns' battle, is now as silent as the void, lifeless, as if dying with the Red Sovereign.

The Sovereigns enter a quiet contemplation at what they just did and how the Red Sovereign treated them in the last moment of his life.

"We... failed a true Overlord. " The Black Sovereign laments in regret, tears flowing from his eyes.

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"***** ****** *****?" A pretty lady greets me after I open my eyes.

In addition to the greeting, *Beep…beep…beep…*

*Hiss… Ssspp.. Hisss*

*Chatter Chatter*,

I am also being bombarded by different strange noises around me.

I ignore the young lady for now, as I look around the room. I am currently lying down in one of the beds of what looks like a treatment room.

Basing on the clothes that these people and I are wearing, I must be one of the many who are being treated.

To my surprise, I notice that the people around me seem to barely possess the tiniest bit of spiritual energy, which tells me they are all mortals. Now, how did I find myself here? I have not been among mortals in eons.

…

Ah. That's right. What an unfortunate event.

It seems that in the end, one cannot escape from their primal natures no matter how powerful one becomes. Except of course, if one is an Overlord.

Heh…

After finally becoming an Overlord, I realized that becoming one is quite meaningless.

With all that power, I can end the existence of the four highest realms infinite times over with a simple snap of my will, and start then start an infinite number of four highest realms, again with a snap of my will.

The only use I found for it was a last effort to ensure my people's survival.

Thankfully, I was too injured to survive becoming one with the void, thus my death. I cannot possibly live like an undying, nigh-omniscient and nigh-omnipotent being.

Death, yet why do I still live?

Let me see my inner world…

…

…

Now. That is strange. I remember distributing my entire being to my surviving people, yet an infinitely small fraction of my power still remains.

I am no longer an Overlord, but I feel like I still have the body strength and cultivation level of a High Mortal Warrior.

Heh… Shall I live my life as a mortal from now on? Considering how quick a mortal world changes, I guess five hundred years is long enough.

Maybe I can even find a mate I can spend the rest of my life with.

Ahhh… I guess the void thinks I deserve a second chance, no matter how small it is.

As to where I am, I need to find out…

*zzmmmm*

Hang on... A High Mortal Warrior is not supposed to have a spirit sense and yet… why can I use mine? How do I still have it?

Ah… My soul… Obviously, my soul… It seems that an Overlord's soul is still special. But, how much of it is left?

...

To my surprise, I cannot even fathom the size of my soul. I can at least tell that my spiritual body is still the size of a True Immortal's but I feel like it is larger than that.

Hm... How can a true immortal's soul fit in this High Mortal body?... I have not seen this before. Does it have something to do with me momentarily stepping in that realm? Whatever the reason is, I cannot tell for certain, for now.

Back to where I am...

I spread my spiritual sense around to see where in the infinite realms this place is. Strange. My cultivation level and physique currently should not allow me-

"..Ah…" Before I can expand my spiritual to a radius of a hundred steps, I am caught off-guard by a sudden bout of headache and dizziness.

I guess a hundred steps is my limit for now. How small. Hmm. I have to thin my spiritual sense significantly to expan-

"*****?" The pretty lady disrupts my thoughts, but seeing how worried she is, she must have noticed my pain.

I gesture to her that I am fine, and she backs off.

Thankfully, I have lived long enough to read people just from their face and body language. However, I still cannot understand her words.

The language barrier is manageable for now. The more important matter is: where in the voids am I? I need information. Let's try a soul search on this lady. It is not harmful to her anyway …

Hold on…

No. That is too risky. I already had a headache just from a simple spiritual sense scan. I have to hold off using spiritual sense and soul techniques for now aside from the bare minimum.

So… bare minimum. A spiritual sense scan of her surface memories should be good?...

No. I do not want to see what she ate to break her fast or what she is planning to do the whole day.

Hmmm. Should I scan her body and brain instead? That should be enough to figure out her instincts which can help me start off learning how to hear, speak, read, and write her language.

Maybe I can also learn from her instincts how to use these strange but seemingly useful tablet devices these mortal patients around me are using.

Before I can start my scan of her body and brain, " ******? ****." The young lady's raises her hand and reaches it out to my direction, her palm lights up for a bit before she lays it on my head.

… Warm… huh.

Must be a healing skill. It is very primitive, yet how strange for someone who barely has a cultivation to use it at an effective level.

Interesting.

"… (thanks) …" I gesture my thanks to the lady and she responds with a smile.

With that, she leaves to check on other patients.. I hope she does not bother me that much until I've learned enough to leave this treatment facility.