Book 5, chapter 34

Zee wasn't sure what a storm warden was, nor was she sure how to harvest the nucleus of a spatial anomaly, but she could figure that out later.She was also curious as to what type of monster the creature beneath the palace had been. With two days remaining until the general of Danma's battle group left orbit, she didn't have much time to do research.

More urgently, the emperor kept glaring at her out of the corner of his eye as they ascended the narrow stairwell. Finally, after a few minutes, Zee couldn't take it anymore and decided to break the silence.

She knew she should keep her nig mouth shut, but she was curious.

"Well, that was eventful. This task Oknarog gave me seems quite lucrative, doesn't it?" Zee asked conversationally.

"Yes… Lucky you," Farsaic grumbled, glowering back at her.

Zee raised an eyebrow at his obvious jealousy. 

"Speaking of which, just how valuable are monsters' scales?" Zee asked.

Farsaic's scowl deepened, but much to her surprise, he actually responded.

"Its scales are nearly indestructible. When turned into armor by a skilled craftsman, you can channel energy through the armor, enhancing it further. Even after being removed from his body, Oknarog's scales can make the most durable armor for the D grade I have ever seen," Farsaic said.

She whistled softly. "That seems powerful. But why are you so upset about it? As the emperor, surely you have far superior armor already?" Zee asked.

Farsaic let out a tired sigh. "You are not wrong... To be honest, I don't personally need his scales anymore. I have just been trying to get a few scales off that greedy snake since my younger years. He is purposefully giving some to you to vex me," Farsaic grumbled.

Zee couldn't help but laugh, which made her still injured side twinge with pain.

"You must have really pissed that monster off," Zee said.

He grunted. "That is an understatement. I tried to kill it," Farsaic said plainly.

Zee raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't seem like a wise idea. Why would you do such a thing? Seems like suicide to me," Zee said.

Farsaic laughed, though there was no mirth in it.

"You are wiser than I was. If not for the contract, I would have surely been killed," Farsaic admitted.

Zee pondered the information he just revealed. That was surprisingly candid. She hadn't expected that. After his proclamation, they ascended the dark stairwell, with only the soft thud of boots and the rustle of fabric filling the air.. You might think they would make more idle small talk. You would be wrong.

Zee had no desire to talk with Farsaic if she didn't have to. Loose lips might give that old schemer more ideas on ways to torment her. 

As for why the emperor didn't just teleport them back to the surface, Zee could make some guesses. The walls, ceiling and floor of the stairwell were covered in dense etchings. 

Etchings which created an enormous array that did some weird things to space and even the world river.

The etchings, and ritual marking were not overly complex, but with tens of thousands of them, they formed a zone of locked down space. 

It restricted everything from her sensory skill to her moment skills. Zee also had the disturbing sense that some terrible things would happen if she tried to open a gate down here. Given just how powerful that monster was, it all seemed a bit overkill.

Like, why go through so much effort? 

One look at that monstrous flying lizard, and anyone with half a brain would run for their lives. There had to be a reason for the extra protection. Just what was down there?

Hesitant, but also curious, Zee broached the subject. 

"Hey, Grandpa. What exactly are you and that oversized lizard guarding?" Zee asked. Might as well throw a little smack talk towards the emperor's nemesis. Who knew it might make him more talkative?

Her plan worked. Farsaic smiled are her description.

"This is something I expect you never to share with anyone, not even that consort of yours," Farsaic said in a serious tone. 

Noting the seriousness, she nodded in affirmation. "I will keep it to myself, I promise," Zee said, their footfalls on stairs the only audible sound filling the narrow stairwell.

He glanced back over his shoulder, eyeing her closely before nodding slowly.

"Oknarog is the assigned guardian of the lattice. It is a nexus, combined with other points across the universe to form a seal. In the distant past, there were hundreds of nexus points. Now there are only two. Two seals to hold back a being that can bring the End," Farsaic said, his tone ominous. 

Zee listened intently, carefully parsing over his words. 

"The end of what?" Zee asked carefully. 

"The end of everything. According to that old snake, his people created the lattice. Over the following eons, their species has been brought to the brink of extinction to contain the monster in there. That delusional lizard is just as much of a prisoner as the one sealed," Farsaic laughed.

Zee raised an eyebrow at the emperor's disrespectful tone.

"It seems wise to keep whatever is down there lock away. Something that can force a species that powerful into extinction would rip the Lorocan empire apart," Zee said.

Farsaic laughed again, not seeming concerned at all..

"I agree. But you are forgetting something. I don't actually think the trapped creature is a problem. And even if it is, that creature would be so ancient and decrepit, it's doubtless dying of old age. Based on what the lizard said, the prisoner was already over ten of thousands of years old when it was imprisoned. Oknaraog was just a hatchling when he was assigned as jail keeper. Now, after twenty generations of emperors, he is nearing the end of his lifespan. With that old pile of bones about to kick the bucket soon, I am betting the prisoner is long since dead. It's a cause for celebration if you ask me," Farsaic said.

"If it's so unimportant, why are you forcing me into it?" Zee asked. 

He let out a chilling laugh that echoed through the stairwell. 

"He might be nearing the end of his lifespan, but that ancient lizard is probably going to live another couple hundred years. Do you think I wanna be stuck here until I die? I'm not a young man anymore, and there are a lot of things I still want to do," Farsaic said.

Not being a young man was the understatement of the century. He was incredibly old, looking like he might fall over from a gentle breeze, though she didn't voice those words aloud.

Dern's pained mental laugh echoed in her mind, making a smile tug at her lips.

He was awake and from what she could tell, hungry. She had a pile of corpses in her spatial ring and would need to feed him later. 

She gave Dern a mental wave, before replying to the emperor. 

"So, you are just trying to put me in charge so you can go have fun?" Zee asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I plan," Farsaic said.

Zee was surprised. She hadn't expected him to answer so candidly. 

"Then why don't you just get it over with?" Zee asked, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop herself. 

Farsaic snorted.

"That is quite simple. If others decide you are not worthy, and you get killed in a coup, I will be forced to come back here. I am not helping smooth out your rise to power out of the goodness of my heart. I don't actually care if you are a good ruler or someone's puppet. Once you form the contract with that lizard down there, and are crowned empress, I wash my hands of the whole situation. Even if you are simply thrown in the dungeons to rot while someone else rules, it doesn't matter. As long as you are alive, I don't have to come back, a fact that I will very clear to everyone before I go," Farsaic said with a devious smile. 

She scowled. "You are a heartless bastard, you know that, right?" Zee said.

"If you don't like it, then work hard on the upcoming expedition. You will need the strength or the backing to assume power. If you do not have either, you will simply be relegated to a figurehead, while others control your every move. Do you want to be nothing more than a puppet, or are you going to seize control and guide your own fate?" Farsaic asked. 

Zee hated this. She truly did. This old schemer was a true bastard, but he was right. Upon awakening all three imperial bloodline talents, her fate had been decided. She was going to be the next empress, whether she liked it or not. 

It was time to stop fighting against what she couldn't control. If she didn't get her shit together during the expedition, she would be relegated to nothing more than a puppet or worse upon their return. 

Over the past few months, she had realized that Farsaic really didn't care about her. All he wanted was to leave and he would do anything to accomplish his goals.

He truly didn't care if she was a prisoner or the ruler. All that mattered was he was able to abdicate.

Since Zee couldn't avoid inheriting, she would much rather be a ruler. The other options, like being someone's puppet, or a prisoner were unacceptable.

The question was, how did she accomplish her goals? She was just a peak E grade cultivator, near the bottom of the pecking order. How in the hell was she going to assume power when there were old monsters hiding in the shadows, waiting for any sign of weakness? 

Dealing with her cousins on the expedition would be bad enough. If she didn't acquire some serious power over the next five years, middle D grade at least, no one would take her seriously. 

What's worse, if her unseen enemies, or even the known one's like the Ashary thought she we're weak, they might attack directly or even use her friends against her. 

It was why she was setting such an outrageous goal. It was a goal that would require luck, dedication and a lot of hard work. 

Under normal circumstances, such rapid growth would be impossible. These were not normal circumstances. In the morning, they were headed to war with the blood gorgers, which meant there would be a lot of danger but also a lot of opportunity to grow. As long as she didn't get herself killed, her goals might even be possible.