Chapter 538: Emergency Meeting (II)
Chapter 538: Emergency Meeting (II)
---- 0Thus, Odessa and Nadida took their seats after entering. However, although they sat down, the meeting had yet to start since a few crucial members were not in attendance.
In the meantime, Valerie leaned towards Odessa and caressed her cheek while observing her niece's conditions. "It has been very hard on you even though you're a Paragon, hasn't it? I can tell that you've used that technique."
"Yeah, the Terrors are growing much faster than I anticipated. Not to mention their numbers keep increasing as if they're multiplying," Odessa admitted with a severe expression.
The massive amount of casualties suffered in the last clash was still fresh on her mind, and she didn't have any time to process the severity of the number. So, now that her aunt showed the slightest bit of concern, all of her emotions showed on Odessa's face.
Over the years, in addition to maturing and understanding the current state of the world, Odessa also amassed a considerable amount of grief that she couldn't show because of her position. Her subordinates would inevitably suffer from the same affliction if she revealed a wilted outlook.
And, in a time of war, low morale was one of the worst things a commander could ask for. A bleak outlook and despondent attitude could result in a substantial decrease in individual strength since they wouldn't tap into the will to survive that typically enhanced one's battle power.
"Don't feel responsible. It's not a unique situation limited to your side of the battlefield. The entire Catasptrophe Line is going through an unprecedented change. We've never seen anything like it before," Valeria said with heartwarming affection.
Odessa losing her focus was the last thing Valerie wanted since she would play a pivotal role if the battlefield needed to be taken over by the new generation.
As time passed, more higher-ups appeared in the room, with the final individual being Alistair Braum alongside someone of a similar appearance. Although their aura was reserved, everyone present understood that when it came to ability, the only one in the Braum Family above this individual was their Grand Master.
"Good, now that everyone's here, I say it's a perfect time to get this meeting on the road. After all, we have important matters to discuss, some of which are extremely relevant but have been buried throughout history," Solomon said with a somewhat exhausted expression.
While most of that exhaustion came from the non-stop battle that he, Soren, and Valerie were forced to engage in, the truth was that he had grown incredibly lethargic after his daughter left for more than a decade.
Although he never visited her face to face, he would watch over her and ensure that while her life wasn't the best, she was never in imminent danger. So, after learning of her disappearance and his inability to see her, Solomon's disposition plummeted to an all-time low.
If it weren't for combat, it was safe to say that Solomon would be disinterested in everything else.
"I agree; we should begin because time is not of the essence," Sirius answered in agreement.
A brief silence followed as Soren opened his eyes and glanced around the room. Unlike the other two Supreme Families, the Dongguang was the only family without a Paragon present. Despite this fact, they still maintained the strongest presence in the room due to their unhinged aura of the spear.
"We'll start with the most widely known information. A Disaster-level Terror has been born. Despite our attempts to pierce through the deep zone within the Endless Death Domain, we've come up short," Solomon revealed.
The room didn't overreact since everyone present was already aware of this fact. Even Odessa doubted that the higher-ups of the Reclamation Task Force would sit idly by as a Disaster matured into a full-fledged nightmare. There had to be a deep-rooted reason as to why Brukti managed to complete his evolution without any interruption.
"As you know, we moved to intercept this Terror as soon as we received the knowledge surrounding unusual Death Essence activity deep within the Endless Death Domain. Sadly, to our dismay, there was some bizarre barrier that we couldn't invade no matter our angle," Solomon continued.
"Before you continue, was this a joint effort that included the efforts of the three Heavens of the Supreme Families?" Sirius questioned while rubbing his chin in thought. It was a known fact that the joint actions of the Supreme Families rarely happened due to their ego.
However, if the situation called for it, then it had happened on more than one occasion in the past.
"It was. This meeting wouldn't have been called if that wasn't the case. While Soren, Valerie, and I working together resulted in small damage, it wasn't without a few drawbacks," Solomon answered.
"Oh? Care to name them? Because while I was briefed on the matter, this is still news to me," Sirius replied with deep intrigue. Even though Solomon was younger than him by a few decades, Sirius understood that he wasn't Solomon's match because not only was he a Zul Saint, but his position as the patriarch of the Braum Family signified his unmatched combat ability.
Besides, being a peak Zul Emperor, Sirius understood the divide between realms at this level.
Shockingly, as they spoke, Soren grunted and took over the conversation. "If you don't believe the guy, then we're more than happy to bring you there. Just keep in mind that the miasma was strong enough to erode the Essence Aegis of Zul Saints. I hope you understand what that suggests."
"I'm sorry… could you repeat that again? Did you just say that the deathly miasma was enough to a Zul Saint's Essence Aegis, which is unbelievably compact?!" Sirius muttered in disbelief.
"Oi, what part of my words did you not understand? Is your hearing deteriorating as you age, or do you just need to wipe them clean? I said what I said," Soren grumbled in annoyance.
At the same time, he glanced at his side, which was the reason for his irritable mood. He was injured during their attempts to pierce the barrier. Although it was only for a split second, his Essence Aegis was completely eroded, leaving his skin vulnerable to injury.
Fortunately, Valerie, who possessed the most capable healing abilities, was nearby and treated the wound before it could escalate into an issue.
"I'm just asking for confirmation. There is no need for you to get rude, youngin," Sirius said in a disgruntled tone.
"Well, you've received it," Soren answered. If left alone, the atmosphere would undoubtedly become hostile. So, Alistair stepped forward with raised arms in an attempt to mediate the angst.
"I believe there is a more important question―how long ago was this incident?"
"Approximately a year," Soren said after giving the question some thought. While a year seemed like a long time, it truly wasn't, especially when it concerned the gradual accumulation of a Disaster.
"This Disaster has shown zero presence on the battlefield in an entire year? Is that not odd? I've never experienced a Terror at that level, so I'm in no position to comment on what typically happens. But, it does seem out of character for a conquest-motivated race," Alistair muttered.
Until now, most people who had gone up against a Terror understood that they would rush without a second thought. So, the fact that Brukti, a Terror who had reached the rarely achieved Disaster state, didn't appear on the battlefield was seen as fishy in the eyes of others.
Even the older individuals in the room struggled to find a suitable answer since the year of absence felt unusual to them as well. As a result, Alistair posed another question that got their minds scrambling faster.
"Could it be possible that something else is brewing? I find it almost impossible that a Zul Saint isn't enough to deal with a newborn Disaster. Perhaps we need to go back even further."
"Precisely. We need to mention that there's a Terror whose even more frightening than the rest, and according to our family records, it's unknown if they've experienced a complete death. Perhaps they're the culprit behind that absurd barrier," Valeria added, causing the atmosphere in the room to grow heavy.