“Not Qian Ye, but another… intriguing opponent.” Basil cut himself off mid-sentence, becoming vague.
The others in the room cast curious glances at him. Even while at a clear disadvantage, Basil still found his opponent interesting? When did the arachne become so whimsical?
Duke Minik said, “In this region, apart from Qian Ye, are there any other strong opponents that could make you look so disheveled? If there truly is such an individual, it would seem Prince Prayttick’s recent observations of fate have not been as accurate.”
Losa snorted, “We do not doubt Master Prayttick’s insight into fate, but we will not allow anyone to question the martial prowess of our clan.”
Prayttick calmly replied, “Whether it is Qian Ye or Yuetong, tracing their fates is exceedingly difficult. Even for me, their fates remain unclear. Especially now, I must devote more attention to Yuetong.”
The room fell silent for a moment. Losa suppressed all expressions and remained quiet. It was never a good sign when a demon lord mage suddenly turned humble.
Minik, however, was slightly moved. “Your Highness, it seems His Majesty’s command…”
Prayttick continued, “I am well aware of His Majesty’s command. However, I have a hunch that the fate Yuetong influences is no less significant than Qian Ye’s, if not more.”
Minik was even more taken aback, “Isn’t Lord Sosa already pursuing her?”
Prayttick shook his head, and Losa bluntly added, “If he can fail once, he can fail again.”
Prayttick raised his hand, and the room fell silent, even Losa held his tongue. The chief seer of the Eternal Night Council should be respected, especially since Prayttick was unique. His first Ancestral gift was a formidable combat talent, and even the dark lords gave him face in the absence of direct conflicts.
“Let’s discuss the battle situation,” Prayttick said. “First, let’s see how Qian Ye fared, and then hear what Lord Basil found so intriguing!”
Pedro said, “While I was searching, he ambushed me, and I was at a disadvantage from the start.”
Minik frowned, “He managed to ambush you?”
“Yes, I was completely unaware.”
Minik exhaled, “If you couldn’t detect it, I would have fared even worse. Fortunately, it was you who encountered him first.”
This statement was not meant to demean. Minik’s combat power was on par with Pedro, but his physical strength was far inferior. If Qian Ye had ambushed him, Minik would likely suffer serious injuries. Pedro, despite his rough appearance, had extremely sharp senses and was aided by sentry spiders, making him one of the best in wilderness skirmishes in the entire Eternal Night.
Prayttick lightly tapped the armrest, “But, to defeat Duke Pedro so quickly, is Qian Ye already a prince?”
Pedro responded, “From the bloodline power, he is just short of breaking through to duke, only a little more is needed.”
Minik’s expression turned grim, “So, you were defeated by a mere duke?”
“That’s right.” Pedro showed no shame.
Losa slowly said, “Everyone in the council and the Arachne Queen know of Pedro’s combat capabilities. He has defeated several dukes and even possesses a secret technique to counter princes. Pedro, can you tell Master Prayttick if there was anything special about this battle?”
Pedro said, “I believe I saw an unprecedented force on Qian Ye. It… seems to lie between Eternal Night and Dawn, yet it is not entirely so. The domain formed by this force is terrifying. I experienced both the crushing and annihilation fields. In terms of their power, they are on par with, if not surpassing, any lord’s domain.”
“Any lord?” Minik pressed.
“Any.” Pedro was very certain.
Minik’s expression shifted. After a moment, he said, “In that case, perhaps we need to adjust our plans.”
“We need to gather more powerful allies, or have a clearer direction,” Pedro suggested.
Prayttick shook his head, “With my current abilities alone, I cannot break through the protective shield or whatever special thing Qian Ye has.”
Everyone’s expressions turned somber. Unlike most seers, Prayttick was straightforward and honest, never vague. If he said something was impossible, it was. No one questioned his judgment, and there had been instances where such individuals defied fate, in both factions, not all of them high-level powers.
Minik, however, sensed a possibility and asked, “What if we mobilize the council’s mage corps?”
Prayttick replied, “That is impossible.”
“Has the plan already been initiated?” Losa asked.
Prayttick nodded, “It will soon no longer be a secret, so it doesn’t matter if I say it.”
The discussion seemed to have run its course regarding Qian Ye. The group turned their attention to Basil. But this young duke, who had undergone a sudden change in thought, obstinately refused to reveal the nature of his opponent, insisting on leaving immediately to return to the arachne’s stronghold.
This was tantamount to desertion, and Minik’s face was predictably displeased.
However, Basil was the king of the younger generation of arachne, a genius with the potential to become the next great general. His status in the arachne clan was even higher than Pedro’s. They couldn’t force him to reveal the battle details. Even Losa, whose authority was being challenged, wouldn’t let Basil be punished by the demonkin.
After a standoff, Basil suddenly said, “In truth, my encounter is purely an internal affair of our clan. I am willing to report to the great general, but I don’t think it concerns Master Prayttick or Lord Minik.”
Before Minik could react, Prayttick stood up and said calmly, “Then it’s simple. You can discuss here. Minik, let’s go.”
As Prayttick passed by Basil, he paused and glanced at him. There was no particular emotion in that glance, and Basil felt no pressure, but Losa, standing nearby, frowned.
After they left, Losa said slowly, “Basil, I hope you have a good explanation. In the new order of the council, the demonkin are the true rulers. And in this order, Master Prayttick’s authority may be greater than you imagine. Moreover, before awakening his seer talent, he was already a respectable warrior. Is there any point in offending him? The Arachne Queen might even withdraw some of her favor.”
Basil said seriously, “I didn’t mean to make things so awkward, but I suddenly realized that this information shouldn’t be shared until we understand it ourselves. The enemy I encountered… is one of our own.”
“Impossible!” Pedro objected, “Apart from me and Emperor Losa, no other arachne capable of defeating you are here.”
Basil took a deep breath, “She is not any of the known strong ones. In fact, she has just passed her initial growth stage.”
“Impossible!” This time, it was Losa.
“Emperor Losa, you know my ability. I would never be wrong in this.”
Basil had a bloodline ability that granted instinctive insight into his kin. Unless it was a lord like Losa, other arachne had few secrets from him. This ability marked him as the future king, the natural successor to the Arachne Queen, even if his blood purity wasn’t overwhelming.
“Having the ability to defeat a duke right after the initial growth stage…” Pedro muttered, still in disbelief.
The arachne’s initial growth stage was equivalent to an infant human, usually ending when they developed sufficient intelligence. Following this, there were two more growth stages, equivalent to childhood and adolescence, during which their bodies strengthened. After this, they entered the third stage, where their bloodline talents awakened.
In essence, Basil’s defeat was akin to an adult human being bested by a babbling infant.
Losa, startled, said, “You said… she?”
“Correct, it is she!”
The great general of the arachne was visibly moved. He exchanged a glance with Pedro and said, “Could it be that the successor to the Arachne Queen has finally appeared?”
“Hopefully so!” Pedro’s eyes showed fervor.
If this were true, they could understand why Basil was so insistent on keeping this secret from the demonkin.
In the arachne clan, the highest bloodlines only awakened in the maternal body. Whether it was Pedro or any other arachne lord, achieving the rank of lord was the limit. Even if the Arachne Queen favored Basil, his ultimate power would still be a step below Losa, essentially a lord.
At the pinnacle, there could only be one Arachne Queen.
Basil shook his head, “No, she is not of the Arachne Queen’s blood. It is a new, previously unseen bloodline. If I had to describe it, I would say she is a fusion of the Arachne Queen and the Night Queen.”
“How could that be?!” This exclamation had been repeated many times.
Basil smiled bitterly, “I wouldn’t have believed it either, had I not seen it with my own eyes.”
Losa said, “Tell us your encounter with her, from beginning to end, without omitting a single detail.”
Basil nodded and recounted the entire battle, including the embarrassing parts.
After hearing this, Losa and Pedro looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
A moment later, Losa said, “This is of utmost importance, even more so than the pursuit of Qian Ye.”
Pedro agreed, “If a new Arachne Queen emerges beside the Arachne Queen on the Holy Mountain, then in the new world order, our clan should stand at the center.”
Losa also nodded, looking at Basil with a serious face, “The gravity of this, I assume you understand. Are you certain you are not mistaken?”
“I swear by my ancestors and bloodline, I am not mistaken.”
Losa made up his mind, “We must bring her to the Temple and keep this from the demonkin. Pedro, go to the Temple and report this, request the Arachne Queen to send an avatar or at least a projection. I will stay here to delay Prayttick and Minik. Basil, your task is to stabilize her and await instructions from the Temple, don’t let her disappear.”
Basil was taken aback, “How am I to stabilize her?”
Losa said, “You mentioned she has a natural obsession with wealth. So, let her rob you more often. I have a few sets of rare armor, Pedro, give two of yours to Basil, so he can be robbed more.”
Basil, caught between laughter and tears, said, “Why must it be me?”
“Because she has no guard against you.”
Losa spoke calmly, but Basil felt a mix of emotions.
What did it mean to have no guard? Simply because Basil couldn’t beat her! In their last fight, Basil, realizing her arachne blood, dared not use his powerful techniques, leading to his suppression by the young Jujie. If it were a life-or-death battle, the outcome might have been different.
“Perhaps we should choose someone else. I don’t think other dukes would put her on guard. If not a duke, then a glory marquis,” Basil tried to resist.
Losa firmly shut down his hopes, “Fewer people should know about this. Until the Arachne Queen decides, only the three of us can know. Prayttick is no fool. I sensed him probing you, but you have the king’s bloodline. If that girl is indeed the new Arachne Queen, your overlapping fates will obscure this, whereas a random duke might not escape Prayttick’s notice.”
Pedro added, “Earlier, Prayttick mentioned he was mostly focused on Yuetong, so we mustn’t let him pay more attention to us. The demonkin are already suspicious, but this incredible situation is hard to guess. Honestly, I feel uncomfortable around Prayttick. Who else could we trust?”
Basil sighed, finally giving up.
To stabilize Jujie, it wasn’t just about wealth. Of course, the treasures from Losa and Pedro, even the least valuable, were of top quality.
Basil believed that the little money-lover’s nose wouldn’t miss it. Losa and Pedro paid with wealth, while Basil would have to pay with other things. For example, his mental health.
Jujie, the little thief, had no qualms about violence. Even someone as tough as Basil would be left dizzy and disoriented. Repeated exposure might even leave him with trauma.
Yet, it was his own fault for handling this so poorly. Now he had to pay the price and bear the consequences.
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