Chapter4-Shadewhite Abyss

Durin was completely dumbfounded. He never expected that the Shadewhite in front of him would think this way.

Seeing his silence, Shadewhite became even more certain of his suspicions.

"As expected, the great Emperor is a scheming and cunning individual. Unfortunately for you, I have already seen through your plans. You can forget about obtaining any information regarding Shadewhite from me."

After saying this, Shadewhite gave Durin a deep look before suddenly detonating himself with a loud boom.

A strange glint flickered in Durin's eyes. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.

A stellar rank lv9 powerhouse—no matter where—was undoubtedly a pillar of strength.

Yet now, he had been so easily toyed with by His Majesty the Emperor, forced into such an utterly humiliating death.

The three Dukes immediately bowed deeply to Durin.

"His Majesty truly is invincible! Even if that mere Shadewhite wished to keep secrets, I'm afraid Your Majesty had already deciphered them long ago."

To them, the fact that Durin hadn't stopped the enemy's suicide could only mean that the man was of no further value.

That Shadewhite was truly laughable—he actually thought His Majesty had deliberately neglected him. What a pathetic death!

One of the Dukes, however, was drenched in cold sweat. Just moments ago, he had doubted whether Durin had been afraid of Shadewhite and wanted to escape.

But now, he realized how foolish he had been—he had underestimated His Majesty, and that was blasphemy.

His Majesty's actions were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. He must never doubt His Majesty again.

His Majesty's strategy was perfect.

First, he accurately identified and retrieved the trapped artifact from the royal treasury. Then, he disguised himself as an ordinary person to quietly track down the Shadewhite infiltrator.

Finally, he effortlessly crushed the enemy's psychological defenses, forcing him to self-destruct in despair.

Such an exquisite setup, such a terrifying plan—yet it was merely something His Majesty had done effortlessly upon returning to the palace.

What did this imply? It meant that His Majesty had already discovered the infiltrator the moment he set foot in the palace.

"Your Majesty, please return to the Grand Hall with us immediately. We must summon all the nobles and ministers for a roundtable meeting and have you reveal the secrets of Shadewhite to the high command."

Durin's expression was numb. Are you kidding me? I don't know anything about Shadewhite's secrets!

As for the roundtable meeting…

What's the point of a meeting if I know nothing? Are we just going to sit around staring at each other?

At that moment, a system notification suddenly rang in his ears.

[Congratulations, host! You have completed the first phase of your mission. You successfully killed a Shadewhite infiltrator and disrupted Shadewhite's invasion plan.]

[Mission Reward: Supreme Rank lv9 strength. Click to claim.]

[Please continue to sabotage Shadewhite's plans to earn more rewards.]

Hearing the system's voice, Durin was elated. Supreme Rank lv9! For ordinary people, this was already an existence they could only look up to.

But for him, to gain such power in just a few days—this speed was simply heaven-defying!

Just as he was about to click to claim the reward, his finger suddenly froze.

Wait a minute… Something's not right.

Right now, he had no visible magical fluctuations, which was why he could use shadow magic as an excuse to bluff others. But if he suddenly revealed Supreme Rank lv9 power, wouldn't his secret be immediately exposed?

If that happened, he'd be dead for sure.

Thankfully, the system allowed him to store his rewards. He could wait until he obtained an artifact to conceal his aura—or until he had enough power to protect himself—before claiming them.

With this in mind, Durin followed the three Dukes into the roundtable conference hall.

Shadewhite Abyss

At another roundtable meeting, a group of Shadewhite high-ranking officials sat together, their expressions grave.

At the head of the table sat an elderly, white-haired man. He sighed softly and spoke.

"Dotum is dead. He was one of our strongest warriors, a stellar rank lv9 powerhouse! Yet he was killed before he could even send us any intelligence. Do you understand what this means? It means he was erased in an instant."

As soon as he said this, the gathered Shadewhite officials collectively gasped.

This was too horrifying.

How could a powerhouse like Dotum be instantly eliminated?

A terrifying thought surfaced in everyone's minds.

Demigod rank! Only a demigod rank expert could achieve this.

"It seems our suspicions were correct. The last Emperor of the human race has awakened. And his strength appears to have surpassed what it was before his slumber."

The Shadewhite high command exchanged solemn glances.

Against such a terrifying individual, do we even stand a chance?

"Do not panic," the elderly leader reassured them. "Our leader once left us a demigod rank artifact. Even if the opponent is a demigod rank master, this artifact will reveal his true power."

"Let's first probe this Emperor's strength before deciding whether we need to seek aid from our lord."

As he spoke, he channeled his magic into a crystal orb.

A few minutes later, every Shadewhite in the room wore an expression of disbelief.

"How is this possible? The demigod rank crystal orb shows that no demigod rank expert exists among the humans!"

"Could the crystal orb be damaged?"

"What are you thinking? A demigod rank artifact doesn't break so easily."

"Isn't there another possibility? Maybe the orb isn't broken—it simply can't detect his strength."

At this suggestion, the Shadewhite leaders paled. A chilling realization dawned on them.

"Only the legendary shadow magic can completely conceal magical fluctuations… Could it be that the Emperor has truly mastered shadow magic?"

At that moment, a scrawny Shadewhite hesitantly spoke up.

"I mean… is there a chance that there simply are no demigod rank humans left?"

His words were met with derisive laughter.

"You idiot, how is that possible? Tell me, then—how did Dotum die?"

"If there wasn't a demigod rank human, how could he have been killed so quickly? You're not seriously suggesting he committed suicide, are you? Hahaha!"

After their laughter faded, the Shadewhite leaders returned to their solemn expressions.

Currently, their demigod rank lords were still recovering from injuries sustained in the last great war against the human kingdom. Seeking their aid would not be easy.

After exchanging glances, the elderly leader made the decision.

"Our top priority now is not to provoke this awakened Emperor. If he realizes how weak our forces are, we're finished."

"Pass my order: The frontline Shadewhite forces must immediately retreat 500 miles. Do not launch any offensives against the humans until we receive reinforcements from our demigod rank lords!"

Meanwhile, Durin sat at the head of the roundtable, utterly bewildered.

The surrounding high-ranking officials and nobles were staring at him with utmost reverence.

Are you serious? You're really holding a roundtable meeting?!

Duke Kafka briefly explained the situation of the stellar rank lv9 Shadewhite infiltrator, shocking the gathered officials.

"My god, a stellar rank lv9 powerhouse—such a high-level infiltrator among us!"

"Thank heavens His Majesty acted, or the consequences would have been unthinkable!"

Everyone in the room looked at Durin with admiration. Durin could only force an awkward smile.

Then, Kafka suddenly turned serious, gazing at Durin with deep respect.

"And now, His Majesty has obtained crucial intelligence. We must analyze it carefully to understand Shadewhite's plans."

…???

What crucial intelligence?!

Kaf, how could you do this to me?!

Kafka, still full of admiration, urged, "Your Majesty, please share the intelligence you have gathered."

The room fell into an expectant silence.