Chapter 1145: By Decree Of Strength

Chapter 1145: By Decree Of Strength



Aurora gave an order to the headless winged spawn, and in an instant, they vanished. Aurora turned to Zale and released him from his restraints.

Zale collapsed to the ground, unable to stand on his quivering legs, and took several deep breaths to calm his racing emotions.

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Zale was born from the affair of a common maid who once served under the master of one of the Tidal Depths Kingdom's influential noble houses. The man was powerful and deeply respected, but he recklessly sowed his seed among many of his servants.

Their affair was a secret she kept hidden, clutching it to her heart even when she was cast out of the household after he learned of her pregnancy. Zale grew up with his mother alone, and she spun stories of his father's honour, influence, and strength.

She called him noble, but he was anything but.

Zale was young and naive, so he clung to these stories. As they filled his heart, so did his desire to become a son his father could be proud of. If asked whether it was worth sacrificing everything—childhood, joy, and companionship-just to gain strength, to become better than the man his mother swore his father was, his answer would always be:

Yes!

When he came of age and acquired his first voidheart, he swiftly joined the Tidal Depths Kingdom's forces, seeking to climb the ranks and earn the qualifications to meet his father and showcase his achievements.

Years passed, and he finally petitioned for an audience with his father. Upon his arrival at the noble household, he was met with indifferent faces and sceptical stares. His father was nothing like the man his mother had described. He was cruel, showing no recognition of him. "One day, he will see you, and he will be proud," his mother had said.

Zale held on to his mother's words and continued seeking his father's recognition. Only one of his father's wives greeted him with the motherly warmth and kindness he had longed for, and he swiftly fell under her care.

However, things spiralled out of control. One night, his father was found dead, and the blame was cast quickly on him. His kind stepmother wept and accused him of ambushing the man he once wished to honour. That's when he saw her true face.

The rest of the family clamoured for his blood, but he managed to escape. Unfortunately, the news quickly spread, and a bounty was placed on his head, forcing him to flee back home to hide.

When he returned, his mother, heartbroken upon hearing the events, revealed her obsession with loving a man who had never loved her. She had moulded Zale to grasp something she could never attain.

In her grief, she cursed him in a fit of rage and took her own life.

Zale was left broken. Soon after, news arose that his stepmother had taken control of the noble household and brought in a lover. But her plans were quickly thwarted by one of his father's brothers, who was a far more powerful man who swiftly uncovered the truth, avenged his brother's death, and cancelled the bounty on Zale's head.

He offered Zale a place in his household and promised to support his growth within the Tidal Depths Kingdom's ranks. Despite losing everything and becoming a hollow shell of himself, he accepted the offer, choosing to prove that he could be more than his father, a better man than the one his mother had lied about.

He wanted to show that he was far more capable, to the point where there would be no comparison.

Her words echoed in Zale's ears like crashing waves collapsing upon one another.

Aurora's words bewildered Zale. Soon, his expression morphed into realization and shock as he shifted his gaze between her and Iris.

Who would have thought the two individuals they brought into the Tidal Depths Kingdom were divine beings?

Zale swiftly pressed his head against the ground again, hurriedly saying, "Goddess, please bless me!" His voice was tinged with excitement and nervousness.

Aurora furrowed her brows, frowning as she realized that her words had helped Zale recognize her identity. Though she wasn't concerned about revealing herself, having made no effort to hide it, as it would be helpful when confronting the Tidal Depths Kingdom, she acknowledged it would be bothersome if revealed too early.

"I can't because you are not worthy of my blessing," Aurora responded, shaking her head.

She was still training with her mother and hadn't fully learned the complex process of creating a Divine Apostle crest, so she couldn't make anyone her divine apostle yet. Even if she could, she would never choose someone with such low strength who hadn't pledged

allegiance to Paradise.

"But," Aurora continued, "if the entirety of the Tidal Depths Kingdom chooses to pledge their loyalty to Paradise, then you can grow just as powerful."

Zale's face paled, only to brighten again as Aurora finished speaking.

"Thank you, goddess! Thank you... thank you..." Zale said, repeatedly raising and pressing his

head to the ground in reverence toward Aurora. He wasn't sure what this 'Paradise' was, but he didn't care. All that mattered to him was getting stronger.

Zale stood up and bowed. "I will deliver the message to the King immediately and ensure I gather as many as I can pledge their allegiance to Paradise!" he declared.

As a division commander, he was confident he could convince many. Without hesitation, Zale turned around and ran as fast as he could, a crazed smile spreading across his face. Aurora watched as he disappeared from view, deep in thought. She had only said those words to make him willingly pledge his allegiance to Paradise and to see if, due to his position, he could convince others to do the same. Having someone work for her from within the enemy's ranks was a clever strategy to hasten their assimilation to Paradise.

Iris, however, looked bewildered, unsure how to react to the scene that had just unfolded

before her.

Aurora turned her focus to the side.

At that moment, a tree nymph knelt on the ground, weeping profusely, while an armoured

man stared blankly into the air, his injuries mysteriously healed despite the countless lashes he had endured.