Dorian locked eyes with the City Lord of Fort Sutner, his face not showing a hint of distress or emotion.

Just a little while before this, the situation had been vastly different.

Dorian was being escorted through the city by a troop of Shade guards from the City Lord's castle. All the guards wore heavy plated armor and moved with both experience and strength. They were clearly all veterans that had seen actual combat. The weakest among them was at the Master Class.

The strongest, a Shade known as Lieutenant Becker, was at the Late Grandmaster Class, a fairly powerful level.

The guards had looked at him oddly when they saw him carrying the limp Helena. However, they seemed to take his strange behavior in stride, as if it wasn't unexpected, and led him onward.

This was the first time Dorian had ever seen a city that was inhabited entirely by Shades.

To his disappointment, it was largely similar to cities run by humans. The Shades had merchants and guards, urchins and crafters. He saw restaurants and Magic shops, training dojos for common Mystic Martial Arts and blacksmith shops.

The one thing that did differ, however, was the presence of several churches.

Religion in the 30,000 Worlds was a diverse topic. Most beings believed in the Cycle of Reincarnation and the Heavens. The most common belief about this centered around the concept that at death, one's soul rose to the Heavens and was reborn in a new body. A circle of life and death, repeating over and over, the Great Cycle.

Some believed that one's actions while alive in the 30,000 Worlds would determine how soon they were reborn or what form they would be born into. Beliefs like this had the unfortunate side effect of creating a negative stigma around those with disabilities or disfigurements.

Apart from the belief in the Cycle and the Heavens, however, there were a few other widespread religions. One of these was a belief in the Light.

The Light was considered a deity of sorts, but believed to be closer to a force of nature, through which one could find their true purpose in life. The Church of Light had a huge number of believers, but most of them happened to be Shades, something Dorian found paradoxical at first, given that Shades were something he associated with darkness or shadows.

The religion, from what Dorian gleaned, seemed somewhat complicated, but it didn't seem like an offensive or a bad one. Many of its teachings focused around doing the right thing, respecting others, and protecting the weak. All in all, it was a religion Dorian could approve of, not that anyone was asking for his opinion on it.

As Dorian moved through the city, however, he noticed a large number of grand edifices, towering buildings constructed of pure white stone that gleamed. He counted at least 7 of the churches as the delegation that had picked him up helped him move through the crowds of Shades moving about their business.

'Huh. The Church of Light really is extremely widespread in the Shade Commune.' Dorian had thought at the time, frowning slightly.

'I really need to avoid leaking that I beat up and nearly killed their Holy Prince.' In terms of strength, Dorian was unsure how powerful he was. However, he had grown enough that he considered himself one of the strong now. He had managed to almost defeat the Holy Prince, a genuine powerful expert, in his previous form, before he gained the Laws of Greed and Mercy, as well as his Balance Demon form.

The Holy Prince Isaac wasn't the strongest expert in the Shade Commune. In fact, he didn't even make it into the top 10.

But he was definitely in the top 30.

'Though, raw power isn't everything. I can still get tired easily. If I have to face a huge number of foes, I will definitely lose.' Dorian nodded his head sharply at the thought. He was deep in enemy territory. It would be best to avoid revealing his true nature.

'But as for Inigo Montoya's, the Black Shade of 7 Blades, true nature…' He smiled.

'Well now, that is another matter entirely.'

"Such a lovely city you have here, Lieutenant Becker. If only my wife was awake to see it." Dorian sighed dramatically as he spoke aloud, catching the head guard's attention. He decided to try and see if he could glean some information off the Shade.

He felt Helena pinch him slightly as he spoke, something he promptly ignored.

The Shade Lieutenant, a rather tall warrior with an open helmet that showed a rather long face, turned to look at Dorian.

"Ah, she is your wife, then? Forgive me, Lord Inigo. Fort Sutner has been relatively sheltered from the activities of anything beyond planet Tolptra for the past several years. I have not had the opportunity to hear of your great fame." The Lieutenant returned a reply with such care that Dorian felt he could've been a diplomat. Dorian also learned that the planet they were on was called Tolptra from this.

'Hmm, that's probably why he got sent to pick me up, huh? I wonder what impression I made on the City Lord. Probably a good one.' Dorian smiled cheerfully, but instantly replaced the look with a somber one.

"Yes. She fell victim to a foul plot by an evil human. A vile cretin that not only cast my wife into a wakeless sleep, but also killed my father." Dorian's voice was full of passion as he spoke, anger and rage appearing. He pulled on both the Law of Wrath and the Law of Valor to give his words even more of an impact. His acting had certainly improved alongside his strength, that was certain.

"A man that I shall hunt down and kill for his crimes against the Huma- the Shade race." He corrected himself mid-sentence, not losing a step,

"A murderous human Wizard with six fingers on his right hand." His words were like that of a tiger settling in to hunt its prey, full of danger as he made up a story, loosely based on a movie he had enjoyed back on Earth.

Or, at least, his memories of his life there showed that. Or Yukeli's memories. Dorian frowned, forcing the thought from his mind. Thankfully, the remnant of Yukeli that was still in him remained quiet, not stirring.

The Lieutenant shivered, looking at Dorian in awe. When Dorian spoke, his words carried with them an emotional and spiritual impact that could not be easily described. To the Lieutenant and all the guards, it was as if he was a figure out of legend.

Soon, the group of guards leading Dorian through the city arrived outside a grand castle located at the center of the city. When they walked through the entrance of the castle, Dorian felt an odd, shivering sensation sweep over him.

'Is that some type of energy barrier?' He thought, his eyes widening slightly.

Ever since Dorian began to study several different Laws, he had become more and more attuned to anything that carried energy. His soul was already more powerful than a normal Lord Class expert, and far, far more abnormal.

'Well, it doesn't seem to have done anything.' He shrugged and kept moving forward.

"This way, Lord Inigo."

The castle was well lit, with glowing crystals lining the stone walls. The floors were lined with faded and worn purple carpets, old but clearly well maintained. He saw a variety of Shades moving through the castle. Several wore plated or practice armor, clearly warriors training, while others wore fine clothes and moved about like nobles. Servants could be seen moving quietly, dressed in plain brown outfits.

'It's like his own miniature kingdom here, huh?' Dorian thought as he saw all of this. The whole castle seemed as if it was abuzz with activity, and as if this was a normal state of being.

Soon he found himself inside a small waiting room, led there by the guards. It had a couple of couches and a low wooden table. Some fine paintings hung on the wall, layered in gold. It was a well put together room, not too lavish to be obscene but also not sparsely decorated.

"Head Steward Damon will be here momentarily." Lieutenant Becker bowed, his voice full of respect as he closed the door behind him, leaving Dorian alone with Helena.

He looked down at her, smilingly slightly. He could feel her slowly breathing in and out, resting her head on his chest. She was actually asleep.

Dorian walked over to one of the couches and sat down. He took several deep breaths, relaxing as he meditated slightly.

In what felt like just a couple of minutes, Dorian woke from his meditation as he heard someone opening the door.

"Greetings, Lord Inigo!" An elderly Shade dressed in a long brown robe, covered in silk ropes and markings, waltzed in, accompanied by a pair of strong-looking guards.

-

Species: Shade

Class - Grandmaster Class (Early)

Maximum Energy Level: 221

-

"Ah yes, greetings." Dorian's voice was calm as he looked at the man he assumed was the steward. He wasn't that strong, on the weaker side of Grandmaster Class, but he was still well above the average being in terms of raw power.

"I am Damon, Lord Gabito's Head Steward. The Lord has sent me to greet you and to inquire upon the reasons for your visit. He is currently in the middle of an important meeting concerning the Church of Light." The Steward explained, his eyes zeroed in on Dorian.

"I see." Dorian frowned, as if he was displeased by this.

"Your Lord plans to just ignore my arrival, tossing me off to some of his servants? He is coincidentally in a meeting of great importance that is taking place just as I arrive?" Dorian's voice was full of disbelief. At the same time, he tapped into the Law of Wrath, making the air around him twist with powerful anger.

The overwhelming Aura appeared to be too much for the Shade Steward to handle, as well as the two guards that had accompanied him, as all three took a step back.

"Uh-ah, no-no that is not w-what was meant." The Shade Steward's face was pale as he felt Dorian's true might, realizing fully what he was dealing with.

"I have slain thousands of beasts with a single slash of my blade. I have studied the sword since birth, training my technique every single day of my life. I have split rocks, boulders, mountains, and even seas."

Dorian's eyes flashed, his voice dangerously calm,

"When other children were playing with toys, I studied the blade. When lesser warriors spent their time in drunken celebration, I mastered more than one hundred martial techniques. While other Shades wasted their time in the vain pursuit of power or glory, I cultivated my understanding of the Laws." He continued, his voice steady as he forced himself to hold back a smile,

"All of this to better our glorious Shade Commune. To better the Shade race." He sighed, his voice filled with feigned disappointment,

"And yet, when all I wish for is to speak with the City Lord of Futner, I am to be ignored?"

One thing led to another as Dorian nearly caused the Head Steward to faint due to his sheer force of presence.

The Shade Steward had eventually ended up leaving and talking to the City Lord, came back and apologized, and then led Dorian through the castle hall to where the City Lord was. The whole process took only a matter of minutes, the impression Dorian created apparently quite convincing.

'This is exactly what I wanted. I'm talking to someone of strength and importance who should know where I can go looking for what I need, someone who will be in awe of me and not ask too many questions, while creating a persona of who I am…' Dorian thought, mentally frowning.

'But why on earth does it have to be like this?! All I did was try to twist Fate and make him admire my claims of sword skill a bit!'

When Dorian had arrived, he'd scanned everyone in the dining hall.

-

Species: Shade

Class - Lord Class (Late)

Maximum Energy Level: 87,662

-

Species: Shade

Class - Lord Class (Late)

Maximum Energy Level: 91,827

-

Species: Shade

Class - Lord Class (Pseudo-King)

Maximum Energy Level: 119,004

-

Only three figures stood out.

Two of which were clearly Late Lord Class Wizards, a man and a woman, wearing a set of grey robes with the symbol of the Church of Light on it.

The other figure, however, was a muscular Shade that radiated strength. One that had immediately gone up to greet him, his face eager. The City Lord Gabito, as he introduced himself, and after a few verbal exchanges with Dorian where he asked about Dorian's 'Wife' and expressed his condolences, promptly issued a challenge.

"Great Swordmaster, I have heard of your legendary prowess. As a practitioner of the sword myself, I have always been devout in challenging myself to exchange pointers with my peers." Lord Gabito looked at Dorian as if he was a lifesaver, helping ease a stressful day that was full of irritating and/or minute work that a City Lord has to handle.

"Would you accept my humble challenge?" As the City Lord finished speaking, Dorian noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the female Shade Wizard was holding a glowing crystal rock. The Wizard was glancing at the rock, and then back at Dorian and Helena, her eyes wide.

Dorian looked back at the speaker, the City Lord of Fort Sutner, his face showing no emotion as he responded,

"I accept."

Dorian smiled slightly, maintaining his air of mysterious strength. At the same time, however, his mind was racing ahead of him as he tried to plan for the fight.

'I can't let it come out that I'm a fraud. But with such an abrupt challenge, I have no time to prepare. Still, if I really was a Swordmaster like Inigo, I would have little reason to refuse a practice duel.' He instantly realized,

'But this is a perfect opportunity. I can create the persona I want to make here, and make it in a way that is completely natural, by someone else's design.' Dorian's eyes lit up as he came to the conclusion that this was a blessing in disguise.

"It has been quite some time since someone challenged me to a practice duel. Where should we have ours?" He looked around the dining room doubtfully.

"There is an inner practice room just down the hall." Lord Gabito said with an eager smile, the worries of the day forgotten. His eagerness to test the man's technique, combined with his complete self-confidence, won over his caution and annoyance.

"Lord Gabito, I really need to tel-" The female Wizard stepped forward, looking directly at the City Lord.

"Later, Patricia. We can discuss that after my duel with the esteemed Lord Inigo." Gabito cut her off, waving Dorian forward.

"Come, Lord Inigo! I shall lead the way!" The City Lord walked forward confidently, exiting the dining hall. Dorian followed behind, still carefully carrying Helena. A small troop of guards and attendants followed them, including the two powerful Wizards, not wanting to be left behind.

Soon, after just a couple dozen scenes of walking, they arrived at the room the City Lord had talked about. A large, circular chamber full of practice swords and shields, as well as a variety of other weapons. There were several large circular rings in the center of the room, areas where two warriors would face off and go at each other.

"We can use practice weapons or real ones, I have no objections." As they arrived, Lord Gabito turned to talk to Dorian, his voice full of excitement.

"Real ones, of course. I'm sure both of us can adequately protect ourselves." Dorian replied, his voice cool. He walked over to the side of one ring where he carefully set Helena down, making sure the floor was clean. He withdrew a set of clothes that he had folded to act as a pillow under her head.

"Lord Inigo, are you sure you don't wish to take a room for your wife first so she can rest freely?" The City Lord's voice was full of concern as he talked to Dorian.

Dorian shook his head,

"I almost lost her once. I will not lose her again. She stays with me." He also didn't trust anyone here, but he wouldn't say that out loud.

The attendants and guards gathered around the centermost circle that Dorian had walked over to, spreading out as if this was a regular occurrence. Apparently, the City Lord of Fort Sutner was a battle maniac of some sort that challenged warriors on a semi-normal basis.

The two Wizards from the Church of Light, meanwhile, were quietly whispering at each other in a heated conversation. Dorian spared them a glance before shrugging. It wasn't his business.

Lord Gabito walked into the ring first, not changing his outfit or gear. The powerful Shade merely removed the longsword from his back, holding it out in front of him as he turned and looked at Dorian closely, studying him.

"Do you know how I got the nickname the Black Shade of Seven Blades?" Dorian's voice was cool as he looked at the City Lord, starting to walk into the ring. From his Spatial Ring, he withdrew a short steel sword, holding it loosely at his side.

Lord Gabito shook his head, his eyes still glued to Dorian as he watched his every movement. Dorian felt a similar feeling that the Vampire Swordmaster Probus had given off. It seemed that Lord Gabito was the real deal when it came to sword technique.

"It is because I was told my sword techniques are so fast, it is as if I move a single blade as seven." Dorian smiled, not letting a hint of doubt show through.

Of course, he wasn't actually a Swordmaster.

He didn't even know any basic sword techniques, save for the few that Yukeli's memory remnants had left before vanishing. None of those were anything special or anything he had practiced either, content as he was using Magic and Abilities for combat.

"Whenever you're ready, let us exchange pointers." Dorian nodded politely.

"Go Lord Gabito!"

"City Lord! Prevail!"

"Wooo City Lord!"

As Dorian finished speaking and fully stepped into the ring, a few shouts of encouragement broke out from the watching attendants and guards. For them to be so lax about this, it truly must be a common occurrence, Dorian thought, shrugging. The more people that saw him fight, the better his persona would hold up.

Battle maniacs, or other people that were obsessed with growing stronger, were not at all an uncommon sight in the 30,000 Worlds.

The duel officially started.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lord Gabito's body blurred as he rushed in to attack immediately. A powerful Aura formed around the man, one that was full of sharp, cutting power from the Law of Cutting.

Dorian saw this and then did something no one in the room was expecting.

He moved the sword he was holding loosely in his hand against his hip, as if it was in a sheath, keeping his palm on the hilt…

And closed his eyes.

WHOOSH

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Important Notice: Hey gang! So I'm about to head over to Shanghai for about a week for a Webnovel event :) While I'm there, I won't be able to post daily. I might not be able to post at all!

Tomorrow will have a chapter update 100%. However, after that, I'm not sure if I'll be able to post again at normal times or even at all.

I will be back from Shanghai on the 8th, so our schedule will return to normal around then.

(This notice was edited in and does not affect SS price).

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