Emperor Lawrence

Gate of Torment and Eminent Greed gently fall to the ground, while Serene Will and Coldness Divine regroup near Lawrence. None of them make a hasty move.

The elder looks at his daughter's wounds and then sees Sky Petal, who is receiving Lawrence's sacred magic. He can vaguely predict what happened, but still, he asks a question, hoping to resolve this in another way.

“What grievance do you have with my daughter?”

Such an unexpected question catches them by surprise, and it is Lawrence who responds.

“I came to this place intending to do business, and she…” He points to Eminent Greed, trying to control his hatred. He knows the situation has reached a critical point. “She tried to kill me without me doing anything, anything!”

In response, the elder looks at the ground with a tired face. His daughter wouldn’t take long to respond, even though he didn’t ask for her opinion.

“He witnessed something he wasn’t supposed to see… and I lacked the strength to make him forget.”

Gate of Torment shows a reaction for the first time and looks at his daughter. “Did you succeed?”

“Yes.”

Lawrence and his companions hope to bring some sense to this father and daughter because, as much as he regrets it, the damage is already done. The Will of Heaven has already noticed him, and as much as he hates Eminent Greed, he cannot kill her.

Not today, not tomorrow, but someday…

The prerequisite is surviving this calamity, and he can only achieve that without resorting to a fight. Because becoming an enemy of an 800-level ranker in their current state is no different from suicide. Lawrence is willing to bow his head for today, but…

Since when has life been so merciful?

“Hah…”

Gate of Torment sighs sadly. As soon as he lifts his gaze from the ground, his eyes show the intent to fight.

“Dirtying one's hands for his daughter is a father's job, but… for how long must I continue this way? When is it enough?”

“Lawrence, you won't oppose our rise to level 700, will you?”

Lawrence grits his teeth at Coldness Divine’s words. If it were up to him, he would say no. With the talent of these women, the more they nurture their Way, their ascent to the highest level may not be assured, but it will be much clearer than today.

Rising to level 700 means giving up the greatest opportunity of their lives.

“Why?!”

He shouts with deep resentment toward the elder, “Why do you look at me with that damned face when we both know the outcome?! I don’t need your pity because you and that bitch ruined our lives. Maybe today I’ll lose all my memories, I’ll lose this damned feeling I have for her. But you know what?”

Lawrence stops healing Sky Petal, he has given up on this life.

“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you no matter how much I have to sacrifice! Because even going back in time, I won’t be able to escape the gaze of a Greater Will! Are you sad? Imagine how I feel! Just to fulfill the damned dream of a bitch I don’t know, everything is ruined! Everything!!!”

Gate of Torment listens in silence. Though he wants to respond, the words don’t come out.

Lawrence pants, trying to catch his breath, and once he does, he looks at Coldness Divine with no expression on his face.

“Do what you have to do.”

Because at the end of the day, this will never happen.

Leveling up to level 700 is a special event, all future ascents depend on the outcome of this day. The stronger the foundation, the greater the chances of reaching the maximum level. But if that were all, there wouldn’t be so few supreme rankers. This is only the first step, a step that requires a great amount of time.

Now, from the bodies of Serene Will and Coldness Divine, the aura of ascension emerges. They are advancing to the next level without having spent much time at level 699. Anyone else would feel a giant wall blocking their progress, but not them.

Because the level compression allowed them to understand their Way before meeting the requirements.

“My daughter has always talked to me about destiny… in this and her other life.”

In front of Gate of Torment, a spear appears, composed of golden lines and without a physical body, just like him.

“Perhaps this is the day I’ve been waiting for. The day to leave everything in the past.”

Eminent Greed furrows her brow, she hadn’t seen her father make such an expression.

“Reveal to me your destiny.”

He doesn’t wait for the two women to ascend to level 700 and strikes the air.

His spear creates a strong breeze that sweeps away everything in its path. Coldness Divine and Serene Will know they won’t survive unless they act together, so they coordinate their Way to defend against the attack of an 800-level ranker. This is easier said than done, because not only are they exhausted from the previous battle, but they are also ascending to level 700 in the midst of a battle!

A chaos of swords and time followed by a deafening impact, the first is quickly destroyed while the latter does so slowly. To counter his advance, they both sacrifice part of their lifespan and manage to hold back the enemy’s attack, but not for long.

The consequence of using their lifespan at this moment is…

“Cough!”

An interrupted ascent.

The backlash is such that blood drips from their eyes and nose. Though Lawrence uses his magic to heal them, the damage is greater than the recovery.

The three of them cling to the ground in order to survive, while the one responsible for all this watches them from a distance in silence, without trying to take advantage of the situation. In his eyes, countless vicissitudes are reflected… and he struggles to choose one of them.

His expression changes when in front of his daughter appear two weapons of similar characteristics to his spear, a sword and a saber. His daughter’s intention is clear, to kill Serene Will and Coldness Divine while she can.

“Do not interfere.”

Gate of Torment is enraged, though he doesn’t show it on his face. A movement of his hand causes a gentle breeze that tousles Eminent Greed’s hair but destroys her two summoned weapons on the spot.

“Why…?”

She looks at her father, but without saying anything, he looks back at the two women.

Coldness Divine and Serene Will manage to fend off the enemy’s attack, and for the first time, Lawrence’s healing surpasses the damage, but that is not important.

They failed to ascend to level 700, this is their weakest state ever seen.

“He’s a summon, just like those beasts. He can’t manifest his true power, otherwise, we wouldn’t have a chance to survive.”

Coldness Divine grits her teeth, and beside her, a second Coldness Divine appears with no expression on her face. “I’d dare say the attacks he can make with those same characteristics are limited, because unlike those beasts…”

“He is alive.”

It’s Serene Will who continues her words, both reaching the same conclusion.

Without waiting for Lawrence’s healing to take effect, they both slowly sacrifice their lifespan to approach their best moment and run toward Gate of Torment.

“My daughter always showed great talent.”

Gate of Torment affords the luxury of speaking while defending against their countless attacks, whereas they are giving their all, they have no time to talk.

“I was the one who taught her this technique… in which she soon surpassed me. Level 800 was never within my reach, but thanks to her, I was able to step onto this level.”

Every sword slash alters the environment, and every flame ensures that everything it touches burns to ashes. When one of these attacks heads outward, a barrier blocks them. The biggest question acquires an answer, Eminent Greed was always prepared for the worst-case scenario, even more than Lawrence.

“Everything changed…”

When a look of sadness appears on his face, Coldness Divine and Serene Will’s attacks deeply wound his body, but his expression doesn’t change, he doesn’t feel pain.

“I should have known this would happen the day she forced me to acquire fame, when I disposed of a heavenly treasure for her… Even when she knew what my desire was.”

Gate of Torment defends and counterattacks, each of his moves enough to instantly destroy the body and soul of these two 699-level hunters, but they skillfully manage to evade and turn misfortune into opportunity, wounding him instead.

Gate of Torment’s spear is once again surrounded by a strong breeze, and they both understand what this means. For a moment, a crack appears in the sky, and the clouds part… for a moment, Gate of Torment’s time stops.

“Heaven’s Division.”

“Forgotten Memories.”

A sword slash partially splits his body, and a second Coldness Divine delivers the final blow.

“Cough…”

Finally, his attack is interrupted before it’s executed, the backlash eliminates any possibility of recovery.

“I have to accept it… she… is not my daughter… she’s not her.”

Unlike the summoned beasts who committed suicide in their last moment, Gate of Torment disappears into particles of light.

As if he never wanted to fight from the start.

Both women fall to the ground and pant heavily. If this were another moment, Lawrence would rush to use his sacred magic, but that’s not the case.

Someone must finish off that wounded fox.

“What--?”

Lawrence pales as he approaches Eminent Greed because next to that woman… appears a man.

“Didn’t you disappear?!”

That man is none other than Gate of Torment.

“Lawrence, don’t stop because of me.”

At Gate of Torment's words, Lawrence is taken aback.

Because this old man wants to witness his daughter’s death with his own eyes.

He grits his teeth and walks once more toward Eminent Greed, but then… in front of her appears a sword with golden edges, just like that lance, just like those summoned beasts.

“Can you truly say that your fate is something you forge, Lawrence?”

The sword is not directed at him but at herself.

A fearless smile forms on her face. “My father turned his back on me, I failed in the battle I prepared, and yet I managed to replicate that memory… Perhaps this is my fate… Even if it was prescribed, I will be the one to carry it out.”

The sword pierces her body and destroys her heart, but she does not die yet.

Death is something she will obtain slowly.

“Remember my words, Lawrence, and ask yourself, what does fate have in store for you?”

She falls to the ground, and life slowly drains from her body. There is no one to hold her hand because Gate of Torment, her own father, has no intention of doing so.

Eminent Greed has died.

Lawrence looks one last time at Gate of Torment and then turns toward his women to heal their wounds, but he cannot help but frown at the astonished look of Coldness Divine, who cannot believe what she is seeing.

“What’s happening--?”

A response is unnecessary because after looking back, he wears the same expression.

Eminent Greed’s wounds heal rapidly, the cut from her shoulder to her abdomen closes as if her body were not made of flesh but of clay, yet even this is not the most impressive part.

Behind Eminent Greed, the illusion of an eighth tail emerges, a tail that, the more real it becomes, the more her level decreases. When her level falls to 699, the eighth tail becomes real, and she breathes again.

Throughout the entire process, the only one not impressed by this is her father, Gate of Torment. He expected this to happen… once again.

Eminent Greed opens her eyes and looks around.

“Where am I?”

Her tone lacks its characteristic pride.

“Who are you? Could you explain to me what is happening?”

Because this is the birth of her eighth life.