Chapter 217: Important Decision

Howard started intently studying the ki left behind by Gaksron's intent for the hour he was promised.

Though it was only an hour, he could tell that he learned something valuable even though he couldn't understand what it was. It felt like he could now feel several intents spanning as far as he could sense in the Furnace. Did that mean there were other ancients that he could find if he searched?

'If I had to search for the other Ancients, I wonder now if I'd be able to find them?" Howard stood up and turned, seeing Harkel and Waxel walking towards him. "There has to be at least 6 other ancients that I sense in under 1000 kilometers from here! What kind of monster would've been able to kill such powrful beings?'

"Howard, it took us longer to find you than expected," Waxel smiled and waved to him. "Ha, but this is a good day! I don't know if you knew this, but me and Harkel haven't seen each other in 1000 years!"

"The last time I saw him, he was still a human with a wife, hahaha! Seeing him in this hideous form, makes me wonder how pretty his wife still is! She was from the immortal nation, right? You lucky dog! I'm sure she can't wait until you finally come home."

"Heh, enough with the pleasantries. Where the hell are we?" Harkel said, trembling while he looked up at the gigantic skeleton in the mountain. "This place is giving me the creeps. Is this the area you were talking about? The one you thought might have some type of primitive array."

"Yes," Waxel replied, nodding his head. He had told Harkel about this over 100 years ago, but because of the Great Last King he'd never dared venture more than a kilometer away from Jarlon Valley. Now, however, because Annibell was around, he felt confident that he could at least come visit Howard for a day. It was nice to finally be out of that horrible place, but this area made his home seem rather dull in comparison! The aura from the skeleton in front of him exceeded the G rank! Even the Last Great King would be terrified. "This area," Waxel continued, "This area is why Authoritarians flock to 1000 Monster Valley. Though the Ki here isn't as rich as in Jarlon Valley, or the Jarkalon Abyss, it's still 10x better than everywhere else! We believe it's because of that skeleton, and whomever it fought!"

"Hmph, well, I'll make this quick. There is no array here," Harkel shook his head. "Anything I'd notice Demon King Earl would notice. I used his books, after all, to learn arrays. I doubt there is something he wouldn't have found out."

Even Harkel was aware that Demon King Earl allowed 1000 Monster Valley to exist. He used some type of array to seal the energy of the large skeleton in front of him in a relatively contained area. If there was another array here, it have to be one so advanced he couldn't figure it out. However, he did notice a bit of haze above the skeleton, blocking out the top of the mountain. Maybe there was some type of mirage array?

"Well, what do you think Howard? Do you think there is an array here." Harkel asked, pointing ta the large skeleton. "That thing had four arms, but I doubt it had much interest in leaving behind a legacy. Do you think it knows how to use arrays?"

"About that, I have something to tell you Waxel." Howard sighed, "But first, before I tell you, can we please get out of here. Harkel, I have a feeling you sensed what I sense, but you must leave it alone. Otherwise, you might be killed."

"You mean you also noticed? At the top of the mountain," Harkel sighed and nodded his head, patting Waxel on the back.

Waxel looked confused, but at the same time, immediately understood what Howard wanted. He wanted to leave, and he had lived long enough now to mean that there was something dangerous he discovered.

"Let's go then," Waxel nodded his head. He felt rather certain Howard must have discovered something big if it was so urgent. "However, Howard, if it's dangerous, you don't have to tell me. You can forget whatever you discovered here today. I wouldn't have a problem with that."

"It's not telling you that worries me," Howard smiled, and left with them into the distance.

###

Howard, Harkel, and Waxel went back to the mansion and sat down in a room full of foliage.

Most Authoritarians didn't know how to grow plants in the Furnace, but that wasn't the case with Waxel's family. Almost every room was covered with an abundance of plants. Yet, when Howard walked in, the plants seemed to somewhat curl up. Like even they were afraid of hearing what he had to say.

"There… there may have been other visitors from a higher realm other than just the Great Last Lord." Howard started, sitting down at a white table ashe crossed his arms. "I-I'm almost certain of this because I went to the mountaintop, above where the ancient's skeleton was, and received a message from his intent."

"His intent? What the hell is that?" Harkel laughed, and shook his head. "I mean be a ghost, but in my entire history, I've never heard of something leaving an intent behind for millions of years! Even I, i n this form, couldn't survive for that long! He's just bones with hardly any Ki! How could he have an intent?"

"Listen to him. I believe intents are a higher level than domains. I learned at least that in my three years studying the ancients." Waxel asked Howard to continue. "So, but if that's the case, how did you get on top of the mountain? I spent years locked out of that area. Frankly, I was almost certain nothing could enter there. How did you get in?"

"When I used my emperor's ki, I realized no matter what I did there wasn't enough ki left in the bones of the ancient for me to learn anything useful, so instead of that I just decided to try and focus around it. When I did, and opened my eyes, I noticed that I could see on top of the mountain. It-it almost felt like something terrifying was there, but I wanted to see it… When I went there, that's when he spoke to me."

"I see, so you probably found a way to bypass the intent he left. Maybe, your Ki got similar enough to the ones in the bones, that it opened? Does that make sense?" Waxel ruffled up his grizzled hair and wanted to scream. "Ah, it's so complicated! I-I wouldn't have worked for three years if I knew that! Hahahaha, well go on Howard. What did this intent speak of?"

"He-he said, unfortunately, that the being in the distance, in an area you could never reach, is stronger than anyone in the G rank. That his corpse was there, and I get the feeling that the six ancients that fought him, or more, completely gave up their lives, maybe all the life on the planet, to stop him! I-I don't know why I get that feeling, but I do! He was a being so terrifying that they sacrificed themselves, and even their children, to keep him from taking the Furnace. Thats' all I know, and he told me to come back when I'm roughly as strong as his weakest children."

"Apparently, when he used to be in the Furnace, his children were born in the G rank! CAn-can you imagine something being that strong? That something 1000 times stronger than someone in the G rank could exist? I-I didn't believe it either, but… anyways, that's what he told me? Do-do I sound nuts? Was it all in my head?"

"Nothing surprises me when you speak of higher realms." Harkel shook his head. "Take the Great Last Lord, for instance. He's from a higher realm and he gets stronger every 1000 years by a rank. His body is nigh indestructible, and he's so intelligent that sometimes he figures thing out instantly. He-he figured out that Jenny was sick from never seeing her body."

"You know the Great Last Lord uses Alternate Ki right? We believe, once he reaches above the G into another type of Ki that will allow him to bring others from his dimension! It's why I needed you to kill him Howard. However, if he's just one of many, then it's more important than ever you get strong!"

"I-I already made up my mind after seeing the ancient that I'm going to the Jarkalon Abyss. However, what was my surprise, haha. I've been dying to know?"

"There is a girl waiting for you in a room upstairs with an odd request. You might consider it a surprise. I-I forgot about it in all the hubbub. Howard, why don't you leave us old men to talk, and go visit her. She-she needs you for a special purpose. Anyways, I don't want to ruin the surprise. Now get out of here! Leave us old men to chat, hahaha! You did more than enough!"

"Thank you, but can you at least give me a clue?" Howard smiled and stood up before beginning to exit the room. "I-I never really liked surprises very much."

"You'll like this one," Harkel said before waving to Howard. "Now hurry up and go enjoy yourself hahaha! You won enough battles for now! You just turned sixteen right? Well, it's about time you receive your real present! The girls were so worried last time that they forgot to give you anything but themselves! Well, haha, this will be even better!"