Legendary Architect of Apocalypse

"Where are we?" Elias was sent out of the Tomb just before it came crumbling down. There was only one problem.

He didn't know where exactly he was sent, or how far he was from the tomb where the other Professors had gathered. He had taken the Ice Phoenix Flames, and the last thing he wanted to do was to get caught by them.

He used the Identification Badge and activated the holographic map to check his location, and the distance of the nearest Dimensional Gate.

A map materialized around him in the form of a holograph, with his presence marked by a red dot. He zoomed out in the hologram, and after he confirmed his location, he sighed in relief.

"Is this what we call luck?" The map showed him that he was already back in the territory of the Destroyers, without having to use the Dimensional Gate.

Although there was a few hundred kilometres of distance between his residence and his current location, at least he didn't have to worry about the Professors finding him and relating him to the disappearance of the phoenix flames.

After catching a breath of relief, he closed the map and kept the badge in his pocket. Two dark wings unfurled behind his back, and he rose in the sky. He started flying to the residential area.

He travelled hundreds of kilometres in less than an hour, and reached his residence, with the area still as empty as ever at such late night.

He opened the door, and entered the residence.

"Lycorice?" he called out to the Soul Beast who was left behind as he was abruptly brought away. "Are you awake?"

"She is sleeping," a voice came in response, which sent a chill down Elias's spine.

He saw a sofa in the hall, whose back was facing him. A man was sitting on the sofa, and even without seeing the face of that man, Elias was able to realize who it was.

"Why is he here?" Astralious also felt a shiver down his soul, as terrifying memories were brought back.

The voice was a little more mature than he remembered from the past, but there was no doubt in his mind. It was the person who had killed him.

It was the man who led the Ashborn Family into reaching the heights that it had never reached before, despite being a Founding Family. It was the Patriarch of the Ashborn Family, and the name that Astralious could never forget.

"Your Soul Beast is really weak. Is it pity that made you select her?" the man asked. "An incomplete fable at that."

Elias was frozen in place. He had thought that he had grown stronger, especially after inheriting the Ice Phoenix Flames. He thought that if he ever came across Silas, then even if he couldn't defeat him, he could at least put up a decent fight.

Only when he came across that man again, he realised how naive he had been. Now that he was stronger, he could truly feel the extent of terror that the man called Silas Ashborn was.

He was like a wall that could never be climbed. Freya felt completely insignificant in front of this man, and the same was true for Jeskirin that he had thought to be a mighty existence.

This man... No, this monstrous existence was his father. It was a true Destroyer, whose wrath could make hundreds of upper worlds crumble apart. And now that man was sitting before him, not even facing him.

"Do you know why I came here personally?" Silas asked, his voice holding no warmth even when he was talking to his youngest son.

"Is it to save the Fourth Brother?" Elias asked, his fists clenched so right that his veins were visible. He knew that he couldn't run from this person.

Even if he hid in the shadow realm, he could be found and destroyed in a second. He couldn't let his father see the shadow realm, especially since Dreke was still kept alive there.

"It seems like I don't need to explain any further. Since you already know, bring him to me."

"I already killed him. If you want to kill me for that, then go ahead."

After Elias answered, there was only silence in the room. Meanwhile in Elias's head, there was a constant noise with Astralious scolding him for telling the man to kill him.

He didn't understand why Elias was taking such risks to keep Dreke hostage, even when someone like Silas was sitting before him. What was this enmity that made him want to sacrifice his own life, to kill Dreke?

After all, if Elias died, then the Shadow Realm was going to disappear forever. But Dreke wasn't going to be freed. It was only a matter of time before Dreke died as well.

"After coming to the Academy, you have learned to talk back. Is it because the Academy claims to provide safety to all the students from outside interference?"

"If you want to do something, can the Academy stop you? I would be naive enough to believe that. But you are asking for something that I can't do. I can't bring someone who is already dead."

"His soul lamp is still burning, albeit weakly. He is still alive. Do you still want to insist that you killed him, knowing the potential consequences?" Silas asked. "No matter your enmity with him, he is still my son."

"Am I not?" Elias asked a question that Silas didn't expect.

The Question made him go silent, but the suppression on Elias grew stronger. The force was so strong that it made Elias fall to his knees with a thud, and the tile beneath his feet cracked with the impact.

Silas stood up, and walked around the sofa.

Elias had only seen Silas once before, and it was at the banquet. At that time, he was almost broken, and not in his right mind. He didn't pay too much attention to Silas.

It wasn't wrong to say that this was the first time that he was actually properly seeing Silas, who walked closer. Each of his footsteps made Elias's heartbeat grow faster, his body not being in his control.

"You are only alive until now because you are my son."