Chapter 179: Backstabbed

Arthraku Nation,

Founder Arista woke in the morning with a white sheet around her body and a small, slender dress on her body. She looked over at Oclen's father, Garan, and rubbed his back. She could feel his rage simmering in his eyes, it was like some part of him was just destroyed.

"Where did you go last night?" Founder Arista blushed and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I thought I had to work hard on getting an alliance. Isn't that why you made me kiss you all night?"

"It's my son, Oclen. I tried to do so many things to motivate him. I even left his mom because I thought it be best for him to see her suffer to become a strong leader. To hate me. However, I was wrong. He apparently has already lost three subordinates. It's a shame, but I think it's time he dies."

"Killing your own son?" Founder Arista smiled and gently rubbed Garan's back. Garan had many names he gave to people, and a separate one he probably gave to his son. It was just one of his many ways of being careful. 

Garan was an impressive man that had even changed his face over the years. 1000 years ago it was said he used to have blonde hair and look like a rather average man, however, when he became king of the Arthraku the next day his countenance changed to become the most handsome man in the entire Furnace. 

Some said he had caught an ultimate grade Authoritarian, one even above the SS rank, in order to gain this ability. Others said his mother and father might have been monsters themselves, and because of that, Garlan had never revealed his true form. He smiled at Founder Arista before pinching her nose and pulling her lips into his own. After snacking on them for a minute, he sighed and pointed outside the window.

Maclan, the man Howard had thought he killed, was limping next to three soldiers. Long story short, Garan had sent a second unit to watch the changing battle. When Maclan had been on his last breath, these men intervened. And when they did, they saw Howard and Oclen running off together, this was immediately informed to Garan when they returned.

And now the best thing he could do was kill his son. He'd just received a report that Howard had gotten 60 Ki Hearts. Not only was this infuriating, but reports from the team with Maclan was that he'd helped him do it!

"Your here on my bed for one purpose right. To stop me from destroying Horned Nation. So we can take over the Furnace together and leave them alone."

"Hmm, talking to me when I have saliva all over my face from kissing you so much. Why are you avoiding the topic? Why do you want to kill your son?"

"My son… He's more like me than I imagined," Garan sighed and gently smacked Founder Arista's face. Her golden hair lightly shook while she smiled and blushed. It was a smack of affection. "My son i'm guessing wants to use Howard, the one you've explicitly told me not to kill because of his future worth to our cause, to I'm guessing kill me, and take over the Furnace by himself."

"He's just like me when I fought Demon King Earl with my father watching. I was willing to sacrifice anything, even destroy all but one of my Ki Hearts to just injure a single part of his arm. Do you want to know why I did that?"

"Why honey?" Founder Arista smiled and bit her lip, "Why are you still avoiding the topic! Tell me, why do you want to kill your son!"

"It's important you listen to the story," Garan gently pushed Arista onto the bed before his arm seemed to transform into a sharp sword. "My son wants to kill me because he has my worst quality. The need to have everything. He probably saw Howard and thought he'd make the best soldier. He probably saw me, and realized I'd make the best enemy! Men that want the best of everything have to be destroyed! It's the same with you! You wanted the best man, and you got it! However, my son! He's gone too far this time! I have to kill him before he destroys our 200 years of hardwork! 200 years planning for how to get Demon King Earl's ultimate inheritance1 200 years about to be ruined by my son!"

"So what are you going to do?" Founder Arista gently patted his chest and smiled, her skin blushing, while his hand gently massaged her side. The heat of their bodies seemed almost perfectly meant for each other. In there 200 year relationship, she'd been the only woman that Garan had kissed for more than 10 years, and you could see it in the love shared between their eyes. Her amber eyes sparkled while he leaned down and sucked up all the love she had in her lips. "Are you going to really assassinate your son? I thought only those younger than 26 are able to use the portal that leads to Jarlon Valley."

"Yes, and that's why I think our three sons should make there appearance," Garan bridged Arista's back before he kissed her neck. The heat between them getting stronger. "Haha, once he's dead, all we have to do is send you back to Howards side, and get him to come here for the 'mission'. He'll scream once he finds out what we've done to Barabin! Hahaha! It will be perfect!"

###

45 days later, back on Harkel's Territory in Jarlon Valley, a fight was occurring.

Howard's body shifted forward before an extremely powerful Dark Ki Flame shot forward and cut the distance between him and Harkel in half.

The Ghost Authoritarian in front of him, Harkel, slashed down before a powerful black flame shot out of his body as well. It instantly cut Howards attack in half, however, a second later he realized something was wrong.

Turning around, a large pillar of flesh opened and closed before he got trapped inside. Eighteen Eyes appeared around the pillar before Howard rushed forward and attacked it with all his might. 

Boom!

Howard activated his Silver Ki and instantly punched Harkel with all his might! His 60 Ki Hearts beat in unison while the powerful force from Howard's fist impacted with his jaw.

Although he was a Ghost Authoritarian, Harkel still had features similar to a human. He had a jawbone, and a black transparent membrane that sort of activated like a skin. Inside of it, you could almost see the Ki Cells charging up his defense. Yet for once, Harkel actually seemed to be affected by Howard's attack. He stepped back on one foot brfore the flesh pillar around him got shattered. 

'Hmph, what a cheap trick.' Harkel laughed before a hundred scythes appeared in front of him and slashed into Howard's body.

His little frame could barely take it and shot backwards while Oclen attacked his right side with a powerful jab. Yet Oclen, unlike Howard, barely caused Harkel to even move a muscle. He instantly tensed from the impact of his fist with Oclen, and trembled before he got sent flying back.

Even the Eighteen Eyed Juggernaut, with its power at the peak of the S rank, got instantly sent flying by Harkel's tremendous strength!

"You-you guys are getting better, but it isn't enough," Harkel laughed and tapped the floor before thousands of chains appeared around him. "I guess now it's time I show you the true strength of my Ghost Domain! Ghost Chains of the Eternal Activate!"

"Hold on, I need a break," Howard smiled and got up form his feet. "You-you've been making us fight nonstop for 15 days. You have so many abilities in hiding that I'm getting sick. I thought the Ghost Hands were hard enough! Give me and Oclen some time to plan first, haha!"

"Sorry, you just got me excited," Harkel now believed Howard had a 20 percent chance of reaching the True S rank before he got to fight Armecolith. 

The True S rank was something that when Barabin surmounted caused his strength to surge over 50 percent. Right now, Howard required Harkel to use roughly 60 percent of his strength, which was probably just enough to cause Armecolith some problems, but definitely not enough to guarantee his victory against that powerful Night Lord. Yet if he got into the True S rank, Harkel believed that Howard's strength might even be greater than his own! He'd probably be the strongest youth of his age in the entire Furnace! A fifteen year old in the SS rank! Where could he find another person with such talent!

"Oclen, next time, use the pillar and sacrifice one of your eyes at the same time. That might freeze him long enough for me to at least make him flinch."

"Haha, I agree," Oclen smiled, "It's a shame, but I have to say you're much better at tactical planning than I thought Howard," Oclen nodded his head. "In the 50 days we've been training together, I got to to say you've impressed me. If you don't mind me saying, I think we're almost friends."

"I think so too. However, I feel like something terrible is about to happen," Howard shook his head. "You-you sure that Monica and Reece are fine? Can you really sense the West Branch from here?"

"I believe they are having a meeting with the Varlan and Aresoul, but it's peaceful," Oclen smiled and turned into the distance. "There is only three people in the entire Furnace that I'm even slightly worried about right now, and those three are locked in the deepest, darkest depths of Arthraku Nation. All we need is a little bit more training, and I'm sure Aremcolith will be tasting his demise!"