Chapter 533 - Flames of Destruction (IV) (1/2)
CHAPTER 533
FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (IV)
Y'nn sat in heavy silence, quietly staring at the man sitting opposite of him, taking frequent sips from the cup of ale. The news that the man just shared with him struck at Y'nn's core, and he had to do everything in his power not to crumble beneath it. He, much like everyone else, had firmly come to believe that the Era of Peace was about to fall upon Noterra. The Empyrion had won. Though it couldn't be said it unified the world, the dissenting voices were few and far in-between, and hardly enough to make a dent in the massive Empire.
Yet, Lino had just informed him of reality. The gruff-looking man endowed with thick hair and beard, both of which were showing the signs of aging, sounded casual when he spoke of the imminent invasion, yet Y'nn could hardly allow himself the same attitude.
Staring at the man, Y'nn had numerous questions, yet couldn't voice them. It was his first time talking to Lino face to face, but what shocked him even beyond the news he received was the pressure exuded from his body. It was akin to Ella's – no, perhaps even greater -- when he fought against her for the first time. And, at that time, she had fully unveiled her strength. Yet, right now, Lino was merely drinking ale, seeming as relaxed as though he was enjoying a drink with a friend.
”… are you certain?” Y'nn asked.
”Yup.” Lino nodded, smiling faintly. ”What? You scared?”
”… I've lived too long to be scared of something like that,” Y'nn shrugged. ”But, the question still remains: can we even win?”
”We'll win.” Lino said confidently.
”What gives you the confidence?” Y'nn asked.
”My strength.” Lino's reply caused Y'nn to nearly topple over from the chair and onto his side. The answer was so simple, and perhaps expected to a certain degree, yet was still shocking nonetheless. ”I'll take the brunt of it all. I just need you to assist Hannah and others so that the small-fry don't slip past me and land on Noterra. Naturally, I wouldn't be sending you out in your current state. To be blunt, you're too weak. But, you have the greatest potential not to die from my help.”
”… oh? So there's still a chance I might die?” Y'nn smiled bitterly. He didn't get offended by being called weak. However many souls he reigned over was irrelevant to Lino, who reigned over the entire world.
”That will be up to you,” Lino smiled faintly, taking another sip of ale. ”Truth is that, even if you do fully develop, you might still die in a war. Though I called them nothing, the supporting force is that only in my eyes. For the rest of you, they're equivalents to the strongest force you'll ever face.”
”What's their average strength?” Y'nn asked.
”Hmm,” Lino pondered for a moment. ”They would be akin to me after I killed the Primes.”
”… ugh.” Y'nn swallowed a bitter remark, shaking his head with a sigh. ”That's… ugh..”
”Ha ha ha, it's quite hilarious; Hannah had the same reaction when I first told her.” Lino chuckled for a moment, taking out a bottle of ale and filling his cup back up. ”Nearly skinned me alive, that woman.”
”—how many of us will be there?” Y'nn asked.
”Hmm, even if I exert as much as possible, truth is that I expect only about twenty to be able to put up a fight.”
”… twenty against hundreds? If not thousands and tens of thousands? Ah, I know you're the Empyrean, but your levels of insanity still shouldn't have reached that high…”
”It's always easier to defend than it is to attack,” Lino said, smiling faintly. ”You'll be fighting within the formations, and with the gear I crafted for you. I don't need you to kill them all. I just need you to hold on until I'm done.”
”How long would you need?” Y'nn asked.
”If it's just Ella, not too long; if there's one more besides her, then slightly longer. Any more than that, and we're talking at least days if not weeks. However, if I sense things growing too dire, I won't hold back.”
”…” Y'nn bit his lower lip. He had no intention of refusing Lino's offer; rather, he couldn't refuse it even if he didn't want to. He was still the leader of the Heaven Sect, and he would be fighting for them more so than for Lino. If he had a chance to be a variable that would lead to salvation, he'd happily embrace the role, even if it meant his death. ”Even if we win, what if they send more? Even you'd eventually become exhausted.”
”Don't worry about that,” Lino smiled cheekily. ”If they fail to win this time around, it will be a long while before they'll dare to try another time. You're in?”
”… haah, of course I'm in. Is there any other choice?” Y'nn shrugged. ”If I die, I just hope you'll take care of my children.”
”… don't surrender yourself to death that easily,” Lino said, getting up. ”You've survived me, old man. I guarantee you that no other obstacle in your life will be quite as taxing.”
”… ha ha ha…”