146 The Western Frontier

When we got into her office, she sat down at her desk, took off her mask, and looked me straight in the eyes. When I saw her face I knew exactly who she was. How could I ever forget the face of my sweet little sister?

"Big Brother! Why have you been missing so long? Mom was worried sick!" said Susie with bright eyes.

"Little sister, you've grown up," I said.

~~~

"Who dares to kill my grandson Orneck!" said an old devil sitting in seclusion as a tablet shattered on his shelf.

"My line may not be the most prominent of the Zagell family, but who's so bold as to kill my grandson within the borders of the Zagell Empire? I will kill them with my own hands! I had sent him off for tempering in the Langen Rift with 4 Viscount guards. How could anything have happened to him?" The old devil got up and released long grey leathery wings, flying towards the Langen Rift.

~~~

My little sister was truly something, I couldn't believe she had already become a Viscount in such a short time. But here she was, right in front of me. She was only 21 years old but already a Viscount, that was much better than this young lord.

[Bark, your sister has A talent.]

Shut up, you mangy mutt!

[Bark, yes master.]

[Hey! Stop being mean to Dex.]

Sybil, you're back. That's good to know!

"Little sister, what have you been up to since I've been away?" I said.

"I've been training with mom, she let me train on her Dian Peaks within the Rossen Kingdom," said Susie.

"The better question is what you've been up to, big brother! Mom's been worried sick since you disappeared from this world a few years ago. I've been hanging around at this dump ever since then for tempering," said Susie.

"So mom kept tabs on me after I left the Hudson Estate?" I said.

"Of course she did, you know mother would never let anything happen to you. Going into foreign territories can be dangerous. It has worried her sick since you disappeared from this world," said Susie.

"I had to forge my own path in the brutal Abyss little sister. I have been working hard in this rift in order to be granted my own fief," I said.

"You mean your lackey has been working hard? Even going around committing such perverted acts. If he wasn't your lackey, I would have long purged that despicable ghost from the Cove of Death. Don't treat me like a child James, I know you've been nowhere near here," said Susie.

"And why would you bother to look for a fief in the Zagell Empire, you know the Rez'gal Empire or the Rossen Kingdom would welcome you with open arms with your current achievements?"

"I was teleported to a foreign world filled with savage beasts little sister. The only way I could get out was to fight every day for survival. I valiantly put my life on the line clawing my way out of that terrible lower world little sister," I said.

I immediately made up a cool story to impress my little sister. I couldn't speak of the Labyrinth Sect, so I had to make up a great tale to tell her. I was her big brother, so she needed to look up to me. Even if she had A talent, I can't let my little sister look down on me.

"Wow, big brother that sounds so dangerous!" said Susie as she balled up her hands propping up her face and listened intently to me describing the dangers I faced in the Savage Land.

"And one time I even had to fight a Count Pterodactyl little sister! It was the most glorious battle I ever had, but I escaped with my little life! I beat him back with my superior cunning and mastery of the Soul Dao," I said.

"You're so cool, big brother!" said Susie, as she believed the masterful tales I weaved.

"Well, if you want to set up your own fief, you now have a better option, big brother," said Susie.

"While you were away from the Xertzul Abyss, we had a massive victory against the Ezun Abyss of chaotic demons that have plagued our Xertzul Abyss for centuries. Grandfather broke into Emperor and brazenly slaughtered many of the upper demons of the Ezun Abyss. A truce was signed, and they transported a tremendous land mass to the west sea as our Xertzul Abyss' spoils of war."

"The Empires cannot openly lay claim to the unknown land in this massive landmass dubbed the Western Frontier. The Xertzul Abyss was already massive to begin with, with many claimed territories remaining undeveloped. The Empires realized they couldn't gorge on this colossal piece of meat without losing their already hard fought borders to their enemies within the Xertzul Abyss."

"Now they are shamelessly enlisting all young noble devils to lay claim to territories in the name of their Empires. If you claim a territory in the Western Frontier, you would be de facto independent owning a sovereign territory, even though de jure you would be under an Empire."

"All noble devils not within the ruling line in their clan are scrambling to the Western Frontier to find their own territories now. It's become a true blood bath. Only the strong may claim the fresh territories there."

"This is great news little sister, I will head to this Western Frontier and claim a territory!" I said, I got excited just thinking about all the people I could slaughter in this lawless land. With my new soul refining skill, I could quickly rise to the top of the Xertzul Abyss!

[Bark, this is the perfect place for you to grow master.]

Just as I was contemplating my grand ascension in the Western Frontier I heard a loud elderly voice outside.

"Who's in charge of this place? Come out now, I want to know how my grandson Orneck died," said the elderly voice as the building we were sitting in was destroyed.

Susie looked at the old devil and arrogantly said, "I killed him, he offended me. Do you have a problem with it, old geezer?"

"You!" said the old devil as he coughed up blood because a little girl would be so audacious to admit to her crimes in front of him.

"Two clanless devil residing in my Zagell Empire's borders dare to kill a Zagell Empire descendant! I'll kill you now to calm his departed soul!" said the old devil as he sent forth a powerful attack right at us!