Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 58: Set motion

There was almost nothing inside, just a flat stone surface broken only by an altar. On the altar was a rolling crimson moon.

I went outside again to look at the sky, and yes, the moon was still burning bright. Inside again, I saw the small moon rolling gently.

"Must be a fake moon," I said. But I couldn’t take my eyes away. It drew me like a moth to a flame. I didn’t resist as I approached, lifted my right hand with the Mark Order trembling, and gripped the moon.

As soon as I did, my eyes glowed, replaced by the crimson moon, and tears of darkness ran down my cheeks. I became aware. The moon was sucked into my right hand and became the red crimson mark in the middle of my Mark Order.

I understood some things then. Pieces of information flashed into my head. I had just claimed some kind of inheritance left behind by powerful beings. It was called ’Infernal Dominion’

It was like having a whole magic tree with many branches, but this one was solely for ’Infernal Dominion’ This meant I could use all the powers in this tree! But unless I retrieved the rest of the inheritance scattered throughout the Eternal Skies, I would never have a complete tree.

Basically, it meant I could use all the essence types of ’Infernal Dominion’ but I wouldn’t have access to all the sub-essences unless I claimed the entire inheritance still out there.

I saw the information in my mind and trembled faintly. This was like having the ability to use the entirety of an Order’s power, like wielding all the elements!

"This is something that hasn’t existed in history," I breathed aloud. Then I smiled. "No, it’s something that has existed. Kren definitely knew about it, and whoever tried to stop Kren by using Arvas knows about it too."

"Wait. I’ll think about all that later."

First, I looked into my mind at the Infernal Dominion tree. "So, the power I can use is still limited by my rank, but I have access to more than three essence types. Oh...and I’ll have to form and develop techniques myself, just like every other Knight."

I frowned. "So, I’ll be able to use more powers with each inheritance I claim until I have total control of all the powers of Infernal Dominion mpressive. No wonder they want to turn me into a weapon."

I checked the sub-essences currently available to me with one inheritance claimed. The powers available were:

Infernal Fire

Pactbinding

Shadowforge Creation

Nightmare

Infernal Imprisonment

"Not bad. Not bad at all! Five types of power. Impressive. I wonder what they all can do. I can’t wait to try them out! But how do I form techniques with them? I can guess about Infernal Fire, and I have a little idea about Pactbinding, I’ve done a lot of contract practice as a prince, after all."

Just as I thought about it, I suddenly had basic ideas about all the powers. But it was only the basics. For example, Infernal Fire could be summoned to burn, and Shadowforge Creation could be used to create. But create what?

"Hmm. Maybe I should think about all this when I’m outside." I stood up and stretched, looking around the sun-covered landscape and sighing. "Will I have to fight Arvas? Should I wait and train?"

Just then, I paused as something occurred to me, and I allowed myself to smile. "I’m now a Knight. I became a Knight! A Knight! I can’t wait to see the look on Nadia’s face, not to mention my stepbrother’s."

I laughed. "Now, how do I get to the Errant Knight rank?"

I didn’t get any answers. Instead, the landscape collapsed around me, and I was plunged into darkness.

In a very dark room where the only source of light was the single purple candle burning on the table, a woman sat, looking at the chessboard in front of her in silence. It had been years and years since she’d moved a piece, but tonight, she’d moved two pieces.

The darkness in the room was so thick that I couldn’t see her face clearly, but her purple eyes were like twin stars. Finally, she raised her head. "You go by Kren now, right?"

The shadow in the room shuddered just by hearing her voice, but one shadow was thicker than the others. It adjusted its glasses. "Yes, my Lord."

"Kren... that’s a name that doesn’t belong in the Hinterlands, for sure. You’ve done well this time." The voice was soft, like darkness pressing down on my mind.

I shuddered. I felt like, if she spoke for too long, I’d get lost in her words. I bowed my head. "I didn’t get him to make the oath."

She didn’t answer for a long time. "Yes, you didn’t. But it’s also good. Put too many chains around them, and they’ll be distracted by it. They’ll fight it. But what of the one they can’t see?"

A black-gloved hand reached out and caressed a piece—a wooden piece etched with the symbol of a red moon.

I then proceeded to tell her everything about the mission, every detail. "My Lord, I wasn’t able to confirm who sent Arvas."

She nodded. "So there’s someone out there who knew about me... us. I thought I killed all of them. To even know to lock onto the Borderlands, impressive. But can they stop the motion that’s already been set?"

"Kren, your priority is to look for this Arvas."

I was startled. "But he’s dead."

"Is he now?" She snapped her fingers, and it echoed like a thunderstorm. The darkness deepened, crowded around me, and crawled into my mouth. I didn’t shout as I doubled over and vomited a sticky green liquid that moved like slime.

"That’s a form of tracker. It will grow on you and eventually take control of your brain. It’ll send information to its owners."

I wiped my mouth and watched as the slime shivered into dust. I was disgusted, my mouth curling in revulsion. "My Lord, does this mean Arvas isn’t dead?"

"Yes, he’s not. Just like I now know his master is not dead. Their power is like trying to kill a plague," she said. The purple in her eyes deepened.

"Then... what should I do about me?" I asked carefully because it seemed what I thought was going on wasn’t what was truly happening.

"Do what you are doing. Keep your eyes on him. I will leave that to you while I shift my gaze to another place. Go now."

I collapsed into the darkness and disappeared.

She remained in silence for a long time, staring at the moon-carved piece in front of her. Then she said in a voice tempered with longing, "So it begins."

An old voice, rough with misuse, answered her from behind—a voice that creaked and groaned like bones grinding together. "It begins? Or it continues?"

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

When I opened my eyes, I found Slya looming over me, looking down with worry. I closed my eyes again and groaned. This is the second time I’ve opened my eyes to her after something happened.

"What is it?" I asked in a dry voice.

"I thought you’d die."

That made me open my eyes to look at her. Her face was smooth, and she shrugged when I gave her a look. "What? You’ve been lying there for like four hours."

Tiber snorted to the side. "She’s right. I thought you wouldn’t wake up again after the door spat you out."

I sat up and looked behind me to the door. The forbidden door was rusted and withered, but the two halves remained standing, bright. The door spat me out? Isn’t that a little rude?

Then I remembered everything that had just happened, and my face lit up, doors and all forgotten. Out of curiosity, I looked at Tiber and Slya, who were standing close to me, and then at Taiwo, who stood away, down on the platform.

"Did you hear? I have the Forbidden Mark," I asked, watching them for their reactions.

Tiber nodded and scratched his head, while Slya gave me a look as if she wanted to crawl into my head to learn all the information I knew. They didn’t give off the fear or disgust I had assumed they would. Maybe they’d had time to adjust.

But Taiwo flinched, her eyes landing on the bodies of the workers that littered the ground.

"Honestly, I don’t care about any of that. Not after you saved my life," Tiber said.

Slya huffed. "If I can be a Forbidden Knight, then I’ll be glad, even if I’m only a Squire like you."

I grinned and stood up. I was stronger than before. The muscles on me had grown tough and dense, my face had filled out, and my green eyes were sharp. My black hair was now longer, past my ears, and it lay thick on me like a mass of darkness. "Getting to the Knight rank must have its benefits."

Slya and Tiber stared at me in sheer shock. They spoke together as one. "Knight?!"

I lifted my hand, and ruddy essence flooded my palm, a crimson brightness that shimmered with heat. Specks of black floated in it. This was the Infernal Dominion, and through it, I could perform all the powers and skills within the Infernal Dominion.

With a simple mental command, I created a bright fire that leaped in my hand. It made the air in the room heat up with such intensity that Slya and Tiber moved away from me.

Infernal Fire. The fire that judges. Hellfire.

I raised my hand and threw it. The fire leaped from my hand hungrily, slammed into the wall with a sharp crack, and burned a hole of melted rock into it.

I grinned again. "Yes. I’m a Knight rank."