The Empyreal Gem Master

On the Walls of Carthage.

The figures of Branch Leaders Julius and Axel could be seen staring out towards the massive tear in space that was the Den of Corruption in the distance.

In the skies, the towering figure of a white-green feathered Aerial Beast that was over 100 meters carried over a dozen humans atop it- its destination being a single place.

"I do not understand your son. I cannot comprehend how he obtained the power he obtained."

Beside him, Axel voiced out to Julius, but he received no reply.

The silence was deafening, almost acting as its own reply.

It took some time, but Branch Leader Julius did make out a reply calmly.

"In the past, when Beasts of Corruption first appeared and Breaches tore apart our world, Legends of the Human Lineages that we idolize to this day rose up to ensure our survival. He may simply be one of the Legends that will rise in order for us to stand against the coming changes."

…!

His reply was a grand one as Axel shook his head with a wry smile.

"You’re already placing him on a pedestal of a Legend. Ah, we’ll see how things unfold. All I care about is…"

His words never finished.

He stared out towards the Aerial Beast disappearing into the Breach as he closed his eyes and turned around.

His gaze was firm.

"Come on, we need to get a clear line of communication with the Ascendant Branch. How much about your son are they to be told?"

"Absolute nothing…"

Two Branch Leaders moved, their minds filled with machinations and possibilities as behind them, a party delved into the Den of Corruption!

This whole time, for better or for worse, the rain never stopped.

—

On top of the Caladrius Minion.

Alexander breathed the air of the Den of Corruption for the first time as he saw the tattered Inner Barracks and Outer Barracks of this Breach, with his gaze quickly locating the five Minions that toweringly stood over thousands of Three-Link and Two-Link Beasts.

Dense, tall trees with black leaves stretched out into tall mountains in the distance, with no end in sight as tens of miles in, they could see another small crack extending from the peak of a tall mountain and towards the skies.

The Breach within a Breach.

Alexander looked at it as he asked the Minion below him.

"Since these Breaches are gateways from your World to this one, how would you all return to your homes?"

A simple enough question, yet it was one that Alexander knew may have a heavy answer.

And as he expected…

"We do not return, Ascendant Master. At least, not in the current state of the Gateways. Think of them like a closed-loop system- a one-way gateway here. Once established, it mimics the environment of a part of our World, even eating up its brilliance further to enact what you all know as the Breach. To open it the other way would require a special Relic that even I haven’t seen with my own eyes."

…!

Alexander nodded at such an answer as beside him, Claire cautiously asked.

"Would you ever enter those…foreign worlds if you got the chance?"

She tested where he was interested in this as well as Alexander smiled while shaking his head.

"There is so much of Ephesus I haven’t seen; there’s no rush to go into dying worlds."

He was cautiously looking forward to the process of elevation of an entire world that Caladrius had mentioned.

Energeia Star Ascension.

The more lands of Ephesus one controlled before this occurred, the more resources they could attain in the future to come!

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"I would not recommend ever stepping foot outside of your World, Ascendant Master. It is far more stable than any other that I’ve read or know of, and you won’t come across old monsters that have lived for hundreds or thousands of years so early. If you foster your strength and bid your time here…"

The Caladrius advised as Alexander patted it while looking down below.

"Alright. What’s the usage of collecting all of these Beasts here?"

"There are Mining Lodes deep within the mountains of this Breach that resemble those from the World of Ornis. There, they can be put to work to mine for minerals that can be used to reinforce walls, buildings, weapons, and other uses, Ascendant Master. Leaving one of us here is more than enough to oversee this work while we conquer the Lands of Galanis."

…!

"Conquer?"

Alexander smiled at this word as he gazed down below, already sending commands to his Minions.

"Yes, Ascendant Master. This isn’t just me sucking up to you, but with the little I’ve come to understand about your power, you stand the chance to become a Conqueror Gem Master. Someone ruling over vast lands with an iron fist as you enjoy all the riches, food, and women your lands have to offer!"

The voice of the Caladrius wasn’t too loud, but it caused the faces of Azazel and others on the back of this Aerial Beast to change as they looked at each other, while Claire who sat beside Alexander had lightning flash beneath her feet as she asked coldly.

"All the women? You would offer him all the women?"

Her voice dripped with coldness as the Caladrius felt like it had made a mistake and stuttered out.

"Err…no, Lady of the Ascendant Master. It is all as the Ascendant Master sees fit. I will merely be an extension of his limbs to move and do as told."

The Caladrius shifted words and blame easily as within moments, they had crossed deeply across the skies of the Den of Corruption to near the Breach within a Breach.

Behind them, four of his Minions were also arriving as one was guarding Carthage, another would stay within the Den of Corruption to set up a system of resource collection, and the rest…would go with Alexander into a venture within enemy lands!