Chapter 2389 Distressed Soul
Emperor Rael had been having a good day. In fact, it was not an exaggeration to say that this was the best day that he had had in the past two months. In contrast to his normally serious demeanor, his expression lit up with an uncharacteristic smug smirk when he read the real-time reports he got from multiple intelligence sources. "I did not expect you to be able to neutralize so many Martial Masters by yourself." His otherwise composed tone betrayed a hint of pride. "Revolutionary is an understatement. The Martial Union and the Panamic Martial Federation may very well have to redefine the tiering system just to accommodate the power that you have come to gain. Perhaps all grade-thirty Martial Masters will need to be able to accomplish such a feat."
The projection of Rui sitting across from him shrugged. "It's really not that big a deal. It actually feels like cheating to a certain extent. If it hadn't been for the information overload, I wouldn't have been able to beat so many Martial Masters by myself."
Emperor Rael shook his head. "Neither the political sphere nor the Martial World cares about such technicalities. Results are results, and power is power. Your power is giving the Kandrian Empire a lot of breathing room and has made my job of earning the trust of potential undecided allies easier. Now, I just need to point out that we are effectively no longer at a numeric disadvantage."
"Good to know," Rui replied with an uninterested tone. "That being said, not going through the available intel before jumping into battle was a deeply irresponsible and dangerous thing to do." Emperor Rael narrowed his eyes. "You could have died."
"I was looking forward to approaching just one step away from it, so close enough."
"I'm aware of what you're trying to do." Emperor Rael gazed at him knowingly. "I don't know who told you about it, but you are trying to reach the Sage Realm through an extremely risky and dangerous route that is known to increase the probability of a breakthrough eventually."
"Well, you said it yourself," Rui replied calmly. "It increases the probability of breaking through."
"Yes, but it exponentially increases the probability of death." The voice of the Emperor of Harmony was stern. "There is no need to—" Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Yes, there is." Rui's tone grew stronger as he sharpened his eyes. "If I don't do this, I will die before I reach the Sage Realm. If I don't put my life on the line with everything I have, then I will never learn who I am. I don't wish to spend my life as a lost coward who was too afraid to do what it took to gain enlightenment of self."
Normally, such a statement would almost certainly be out of arrogance, but in Rui's case, it was entirely true. He became capable of even greater things when prepared ahead of time.
"...Alright, if you are aware of all the risks and still choose to go down this path, then I won't stop you." Emperor Rael heaved an exasperated sigh. "I suppose I will have to form even greater contingencies for Kandria in this war if you happen to die due to your recklessness."
Rui smiled wryly. "I know you well enough to know that you have already made those plans from the very start. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you assumed I was always going to die at some point."
His father didn't deny his accusations.
"How long is the war going to last?" Rui asked with a hint of interest. "I need to know how much longer I have before the ease of fighting Masters drops."
"Only forty percent of the undecided potential allies remain," his father calmly informed him. "We are in the final stretch. Up till this point, the alliance has failed to acquire the necessary Martial Sages needed to defeat us. On top of that, we have gained a resurgence, making our outlook more optimistic."
"Forty percent..." Rui muttered. "That's still enough for the war to go either way."
"Yes, I cannot heave a sigh of relief and relax now." Emperor Rael nodded. "However, I believe that we will win. I do not foresee our defeat unless something absolutely massive happens that throws all my plans for a toss. But..."
He shook his head. "With your grandmother keeping tabs on the sole person capable of doing something like that, it is highly unlikely."
-