Chapter 156: Psychological Warfare

"Tch. Nevermind. It’s too late to go back now." Kaelen mumbled to himself as he stepped out of the bathroom.

For the sake of the unimaginable Evolution Spores he could absorb per second in the domain of an immortal like Emir who had lived for ten millennia.

The room assigned to him was a master’s bedroom. Large and spacious with a lounge area and balcony he was yet to check out. His reason being he didn’t want to spoil the fun for himself before he actually saw what the kingdom looked like on the tour.

The walk-in closet was previously empty, but now there was a pair of clothes neatly placed on the king-sized bed while he was in the bathroom. His guess would be, by the time he returned, they would’ve stocked the wardrobe with clothing and accessories.

What a classic life it would be to be the Lord of a kingdom. With the 10,000× Reward System, he would’ve made it bigger on that path when he began summoning Mythic warriors while the others were stuck at getting anything above Common Tier.

He might’ve conquered the world and found a way to sever the connection between Akkad and Evolution Online. And with an army of the strength of 10,000×, humanity’s enemies would think twice before invading even if the Global Descent befell the world, and he would’ve surely found an easier path to saving his mother without having to reach such a dangerous agreement with a legendary stranger who has threatened to end the universe once and was an enemy to all races, including his own—probably.

He exhaled softly as he swept his now neatly trimmed hair to the back. A few loose strands still clinging onto his wet face.

He had attended to it with a pair of scissors in the bathroom, but had refused to cut it short. But now he was low-key regretting it and would need a band to tie it up behind his head to avoid getting in his vision, not like that affected him any way in or outside battle.

He quickly put on the clothes prepared for him, which were strange yet relatable at the same time. Mostly black outfits thick enough to withstand a shotgun bullet but comfortable and flexible enough to not cook you inside in hot weather or restrict your movements in any way.

Great workmanship.

He finally stepped out of the room to a grand corridor with an identical door just opposite his, a bigger and thicker door on one end of the hallway, and the elevator on the other end.

He didn’t know where to start looking or where to go from there as his Sharp Senses proved to be useless inside the house, so he moved to the identical door directly opposite his and twisted the doorknob.

It was unlocked, and the door pushed open with a dull click. He was just about to step inside when a voice suddenly came from behind him, startling him.

"What are you doing?"

He turned at the familiar voice to see Emir on her wheelchair, and tilted his head to see the door at the end of the hallway slowly closing.

All it took was a second for her to step out and cross the distance between them on a wheelchair, surprising Kaelen.

"Looking for you, of course. You didn’t tell me where to find you after I was done, so I checked the place out myself." Kaelen said and glanced at her legs. "Are you sure you’re crippled?"

His bluntness drew a smile from her. "My leg doesn’t work has nothing to do with my speed. I can still dominate you in a fight even if you were to throw in everything you got."

"What kind of fight are we talking about? Cause I doubt you can beat me at any."

Emir tried to hold back her smile as she pretended like she hadn’t heard what Kaelen had said. At the end, she failed woefully but quickly changed the topic. "Didn’t your mother teach you not to enter a woman’s room without knocking?"

"Oh," Kaelen mumbled as he stared at the identical door, before shifting his gaze to the grand door she’d come out from. "Then I’m guessing that’s the study."

"Are you trying to dodge taking accountability for your actions?"

"It seems we have the entire floor to ourselves. You wouldn’t even need a vacation to have a good honeymoon. It’s only a step away from being the best architectural design." Kaelen mumbled to himself like he hadn’t heard her question.

Emir couldn’t even bring herself to dwell on it as it was only a redirection from Kaelen’s subtle flirt. But from the looks of it, he looked oblivious to the words that came out of his own mouth and how they might sound to those around him.

"And what’s stopping it from becoming the design?" She asked curiously.

"My portraits across the walls." Kaelen replied shamelessly as he began moving towards the elevator.

The walls were bare of any decorations. Not even Emir’s portrait which would’ve been the best thing, but it seemed she wasn’t that kind of person. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn she didn’t have a single picture of herself... not like he had any of himself, but that was simply because he’d been fighting for his life since the day he woke up before Stronghold 5.

"I guess the same could be said for her," he mumbled to himself as the elevator door opened on its own and he stepped inside, only to turn to see Emir was still at the spot he left.

"Why aren’t you coming?" He asked in confusion.

"I’m not sure. Let me think—oh, I know. It’s because I can’t walk." She said dramatically, making Kaelen pause to stare at her for a long moment.

"Didn’t you break the sound barrier just now on your own to stop me from entering your room?" He blurted in defense.

Emir didn’t say a word for another minute and she simply stared at him.

Kaelen almost rolled his eyes at her and made his way back to her, but just before he could circle behind her, she suddenly grabbed his arm with a firm grip, making him halt in his steps.

"What are you doing?" Kaelen asked with his guard up.

She didn’t reply immediately.

"Kaelen... why are you here?" She asked with a flat tone.

Kaelen was taken aback by this question. From her serious tone, he decided to drop the act and come directly.

"I’ll tell you if you tell me what your plan is, actually."

"What are you talking about? I already told you all I want from you is the founding successor." She replied calmly.

Kaelen sneered as he lowered himself to her eye level. "Is that so? Then why are you so scared of me touching you?" He asked and grabbed her chin to make her look at him. "I can give you the founding successor right now if that’s what you truly want, huh."

Her pupils trembled slightly for a second before stabilizing at once like they never faltered, and she stared him straight in the eyes without breaking out of character.

"I could help you with what you want if you simply tell me what it is. I’m not against your growth, and would gladly assist you with anything in my domain that might help you prepare accordingly towards the grand tournament." She replied calmly.

Kaelen was silent for a moment as he searched her purple eyes for any signs of deceit.

"Well then, I’m looking for the best spot to cultivate Evolution Points, and your domain is likely the highest place I have access to. So I have reasons to believe I’m right where I need to be." He replied calmly as well.

Emir didn’t break eye contact for a moment, before she snorted in amusement as she looked away briefly. "Is that the reason you’ve been acting mysterious since you came here?" She asked in disbelief.

"Well... yeah?" He replied with the urge to scratch his chin.

Emir almost laughed as she loosened her grip on his arm.

"You’re so unpredictable," she commented and waved at him to take control of the wheelchair.

"If that’s all you want, very well then. When we return, I’ll tell you all you need to know about cultivating Evolution Spores and the best way to do it."

"Thanks, I guess. But I’ve answered your question, now answer mine." He requested.

"What question? I know you’re a young man full of vigor, but you can’t be that thirsty to get me in your bed."

"W-What?"