"Hahahahaha…!!!"

The emperor's laughter echoed through the hall, but Aron could tell the man wasn't laughing out of amusement.

He was enraged, furious beyond words, but couldn't act on it.

"You dare make demands after everything?" the emperor barked, his voice dripping venom.

"I apologize for the inconvenience," Aron said calmly as he turned to leave.

It wasn't worth staying here any longer.

He figured he could easily find what he needed elsewhere, some of the spectators who'd fled earlier were bound to end up in taverns or shops.

Finding the information he needed wouldn't be hard.

But the emperor's voice halted him.

"The only reason you still draw air," the emperor said coldly, "is because you're soul-bound to my daughter. And now you talk about leaving?" His eyes flared. "You jest."

The emperor's face darkened as killing intent poured from him like a raging tide.

The temperature in the hall seemed to plummet.

Aron stopped mid-step, then slowly turned to face him.

His eyes met the emperor's as a calm smile appeared on his face. "Do you really think you, or anyone here, can stop me from leaving?"

He didn't even bother concealing his cultivation again. That wasn't his style.

The guards, despite having seen their comrades still writhing on the ground from earlier, lunged forward without fear.

But before they could reach him, the floor shifted.

One by one, they sank halfway into the earth, their armor scraping as the ground swallowed them like hungry sand.

Even those who scrambled for higher ground found no mercy, the floor rippled, forming massive hands that dragged them down until only their heads remained visible.

Aron took a single step forward and vanished from his spot, reappearing directly before the emperor.

Their faces were mere inches apart.

The King didn't flinch, his eyes cold and sharp.

"Trust me," Aron said quietly. "I can say the same to you."

The palace descended into eerie silence.

Every guard was immobilized, half-buried.

The princess, fortunately, had already been escorted out by the maids and was spared the scene.

A dark haze began to rise from Emperor Raim's body, his fury barely contained.

Aron simply stared at him, smiling faintly, completely unbothered.

Just as the tension was about to shatter, a voice cut through the air.

"My husband is only worried," said Queen Joda, stepping forward gracefully.

"Our daughter's life is bound to yours. If anything were to happen to you, she would suffer the same fate."

Queen Joda stepped forward, her presence soft yet commanding.

She intervened just in time.

Queen Joda never once believed Aron could defeat her husband, Raim was a man who fought above his rank.

But she also understood his temper.

Even if he could win, what if his rage ran wild? What if in that fury, he killed the boy, and their daughter along with him?

She refused to take that chance.

"Put yourself in his shoes," she said gently, tears welling in her eyes. "If your daughter were soul-bound to a total stranger, would you have let him walk away? Please… hear a mother's plea, and stay."

"Joda, what are you doing?" Riam's voice trembled with disbelief.

He felt undermined, insulted even.

Did his wife truly think someone of a lower rank could defeat him?

"I only care for our daughter's safety," Queen Joda said firmly.

Her teary eyes met his, and slowly, understanding began to dawn on the emperor's face. The black smoke around him began to fade.

Aron, standing quietly beside them, felt a little moved.

He took a deep breath.

This was his fault in the first place.

"Is there a way to unbind your daughter from me?" Aron asked, his gaze steady on the queen.

Queen Joda dabbed away her tears, regaining her poise.

"Y-yes...There is a way. But it's… very difficult."

"It doesn't matter," Aron replied. "Tell me."

"You'd have to go to the Familiar World and ..."

"Joda!!!" the emperor roared, cutting her off.

The sound shook the hall, forcing the queen to close her mouth immediately.

The queen turned toward him, her expression calm but defiant.

Then, facing Aron again, she said softly, "Can you release the guards now?"

At her request, the ground shifted once more, spitting the guards back out onto solid floor.

They gasped for air, shaken but alive.

"Please, lead our guest to freshen up and bring him to dinner afterward," Joda instructed one of the soldiers.

Then she looked back at Aron, her expression soft but serious. "Give me a few hours to talk to my husband. I'll tell you everything you need to know during dinner. Please wait until then."

Then, before the emperor could protest, she grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the hall.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances before one finally stepped forward, voice tight with caution. "This way, sir."

Aron shrugged. "Lead on."

He followed without complaint, though his senses remained alert.

He wasn't about to be caught off guard again.

...

..

.

Author note:

If you've read this far, then it's clear you're loving the journey just as much as I enjoy writing it.

But here's the truth: stories don't grow on their own. They grow because of you, the readers who stand beside them. And on Webnovel, your Powerstones, Golden ticket and engagement are the heartbeat that keeps a novel alive. Each support you cast isn't just a number on a chart. It's a signal that you want more, that you believe Aron's story deserves to climb higher, to reach more people, to carve its name into the rankings where it belongs.

Your encouragement decides the pace of this journey. Together, we can push this story through the chaos, step by step, one stone, one ticket, one chapter at a time.

So thank you, for every stone, every ticket, every moment you've given this story. You are the reason Aron's world lives and grows.

Let's walk through the apocalypse together

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.