Weapon seller in the world of magic

That night, Emperor Shi and the entire imperial family of the Leon Empire survived, as the demons' objective was never them in the first place. But, the palace wasn't so lucky. The grand structures that had stood for centuries were now nothing more than scorched ruins, with bodies of soldiers strewn across the palace grounds. Over eight generals, more than 200 imperial knights, and thousands of soldiers were killed. The few hundred who survived had run away in fear before the battle had ended.

The aftermath was pure chaos. Criminals who had been hiding from the authorities now roamed the streets freely. In the heart of the capital, gangs formed, prisoners escaped, and the city, once the pride of the empire, teetered on the edge of anarchy.

A day later, the reinforcements arrived from the border. But while the palace was fortified, the city outside remained unprotected, and criminal activity skyrocketed. It was a city on fire, in more ways than one.

Inside what remained of the palace walls, Emperor Shi sat surrounded by his ministers and generals. The room was thick with tension.

"We're not just dealing with an attack," a general growled, pounding his fist on the table. "The demons targeted us. This was a message."

Minister Li, one of the emperor's oldest advisors, nodded gravely. "We need to address this threat swiftly before rebellion spreads like wildfire. The vassal states… they smell blood."

Emperor's favorite grandson, Prince Shi Xuan, stood calmly among the bickering. "But we still don't know who orchestrated this attack. Lu Zhen? Demons? Someone else?"

"Lu Zhen!" Minister Li exclaimed. "It's obvious! He's been lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike! There's been talk of his alliance with demons—rumors from the Bloodhill Forest are spreading."

"Rumors," Shi Xuan said, cutting him off, "are not evidence. We must act on facts, not whispers."

Before another minister could respond, the heavy doors to the chamber creaked open. A guard stepped inside, saluting with urgency. "Your Majesty, there's a messenger at the gates—someone from the Genesis Federation."

Silence fell over the room as the ministers exchanged uneasy glances. Genesis Federation was synonymous with Lu Zhen in their minds.

"What do they want?" the emperor asked, his voice low and controlled.

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"The messenger carries a letter, but… the guards are holding them outside. The situation is unclear."

"A trap, no doubt!" one minister snarled. "We should have him executed—Lu Zhen's dogs cannot be trusted."

Shi Xuan stepped forward. "Messengers are immune to punishment, even in war. You all know that. If we act rashly, we'll be no better than the rebels we're trying to control."

Minister Li sneered, "Lu Zhen has every reason to be behind this. The Bloodhill Forest, our past disputes—he has a motive. He's a snake."

"And yet," Xuan countered, "we don't have any proof. Grandfather, we should at least hear the messenger out."

Emperor Shi's sharp eyes flicked between the ministers. After a long pause, he nodded once. "Bring the messenger in."

Moments later, the large doors swung open again, and in walked Alina—tall, graceful, and impossibly beautiful, her every movement precise. The ministers looked at her with confusion, some whispering in hushed tones.

"She's so beautiful" one of the generals muttered under his breath. For anyone under the Supreme Realm, she is a beautiful woman who can lure any man into the trap with a simple gaze, and unluckily for them, no Supreme Realm expert is present in the courtroom. Hence, the fact that she is an android is not known to the people. But, some ministers, despite the state of crisis they were in, couldn't help but enjoy the beauty.

Without any formal greeting, Alina stopped in the center of the room. Her eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto the emperor.

"I carry a message from my master," she said in a soft yet commanding tone. Then, to everyone's shock, her eyes glowed, and a holographic projection materialized from them, floating in mid-air.

Gasps echoed through the room. Not even the most powerful demigods could conjure something like this.

In the projection, Lu Zhen sat calmly on a chair. He stared ahead, expression neutral but intense.

"Emperor Shi," his voice rang through the room, "you have my sympathies."

The ministers shuffled uncomfortably in their seats, glaring at the projection as if Lu Zhen himself stood before them.

"I have some idea why the demons attacked your palace," Lu Zhen continued. "They were under orders to search for something precious—something you have. I won't tell you what it is, for obvious reasons, but know this: the demons won't stop until they finish their job. The attacks will become more frequent in the future."

The emperor's fists clenched on his throne, his eyes narrowing. Lu Zhen's voice remained calm, calculated.

"I can help you in stopping these attacks, but in return, you'll have to acknowledge the Genesis Federation's legitimacy and cede control of Nanjing as compensation for your interference."

A murmur spread through the room at the demand. Minister Li's face turned red with anger. "He dares—"

But Lu Zhen wasn't finished. "And one more thing," he added. "King Qi is now under my protection. Consider your next moves carefully, Emperor. You don't want to add more enemies to your list."

The projection flickered, then disappeared, leaving the room heavy with silence.

Alina, unfazed by the chaos around her, gave a small bow. "I've delivered my master's message. The decision is yours."

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving the imperial court to face the crisis at hand.

Once she was gone out of their sight, Minister Li was the first to speak. "He wants us to surrender? Ridiculous! He's behind this. We should prepare for war! Let's activate our spies at the same time and cause suicide attacks all over the place. If we can't directly hurt Lu Zhen, we can destroy his allies at will. It would teach him a lesson."

But Xuan's voice cut through the panic. "Grandfather, I think… we should think this through. Neither of our parties had yet to declare war on each other. Moreover, If he's telling the truth, there's more at stake than just the demons or the rebellion. Moreover, we still haven't brought the Church of Doom to our side. There is no use in revealing our cards like this."

Emperor Shi's gaze never wavered from where the projection had been. "We will not make any rash decisions. Not yet." His voice was calm but carried the weight of authority.

***

Meanwhile, Mark was seen flying above the endless expanse of the ocean. The wind whipped past him, yet his focus remained solely on the holographic screen floating before him.

On the screen, a detailed map was displayed with landscapes, cities, and borders meticulously laid out. His current location was marked by a small blue dot, and far ahead of him was his destination, a red dot, pulsing faintly.

This was a function developed by Ark, in conjunction with the Space station revolving around the planet, up there.

He narrowed his eyes at the screen, watching as the blue dot crept closer to its target. "Almost there," he muttered under his breath. His destination was a remote island, completely isolated in the middle of the ocean. No other landmass was visible within a 100-kilometer radius; just endless water as far as the eye could see.

Finally, the island came into view. It was barren and desolate, with only one defining feature: a volcano, towering over the otherwise empty landscape. The volcano wasn't dormant either; the fiery orange glow of boiling lava bubbled ominously at its base. Dark smoke billowed from its peak, trailing into the sky like a beacon of destruction.

Mark hovered in the air, his sharp gaze scanning the rest of the island. No signs of life, no hidden structures, and no indication of anything but volcanic rock and flowing lava.

"This is it?" he questioned, his voice laced with curiosity. "No signs of an entrance. Maybe he's hiding underneath."

With that thought, his face broke into a small, knowing smile. He was used to things being more complicated than they appeared.

Channeling his ether energy, a shimmering scarlet aura enveloped his body, creating a protective barrier between him and the harsh environment below. Without hesitation, he dove straight into the lava, disappearing beneath the molten surface.

The lava pressed against him, thick and searing, but his ether shield held firm.

He swam deeper, navigating through the fiery liquid as easily as if it were water. Kilometers passed, the heat intensifying with every stroke. The further he went, the more the pressure built, but Mark remained unfazed.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached his destination, a massive cavern hidden deep beneath the volcano. The cavern was vast, with rivers of magma snaking through the ground like glowing veins, casting an eerie red light on the rocky walls.

Mark emerged from the molten stream, landing lightly on the solid ground. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim, hellish glow of the cavern. It was quiet, save for the occasional crackle of molten rock and the distant gurgling of magma rivers.

Then, in the distance, he saw it—a figure cloaked entirely in shadows, standing still as if waiting for him. The figure's form was hard to make out, its features obscured by darkness, but the immense power radiating from it was unmistakable.

Mark's lips curled into a sly smile as he took a step forward, his voice a low whisper to himself. "I've found you, Yan Hai."

The figure stirred, the darkness shifting slightly as it heard Mark's whisper. As the aura of darkness dispelled, the Supreme Pontiff of the Church of Doom calmly stared back at Mark. "Lu Zhen…"