Chapter 1586: Different World

The atmosphere inside the room turned cold and silent. All the arguments from earlier seemed to disappear beneath the weight of the facts Erebus had just placed before them.

Aldric looked at his fellow council members and realized that they were finally beginning to understand what they had not seen for so long.

The real suffering was happening outside those walls. Their people were already becoming victims of the darkness, and none of them could say with certainty that they or their families would not become the next victims of the curse.

Aldric had already seen enough to understand the truth, and deep down he knew he could no longer reject Erebus’s proposal.

Aldric remained silent and allowed Erebus to finish. This was Erebus’s moment, and Aldric did not want to interfere.

"We are indeed a nation of warriors and protectors. The statues of our past heroes stand tall in the square for everyone to see. Everyone knows what they represent. But can those statues help us drive away the curse? No. They can only watch in silence because all of them are already dead. We are the ones who remain. We are the ones who have to move. We have to fight for our people."

Erebus spoke with a final tone. He had said everything he wanted to say.

He looked across the faces of the council members and waited. He knew they needed time to think about his words before making their decision.

If they decided to reject the invasion completely, however, Erebus would carry out the plan himself. He knew he had enough strength to do it and he also believed the people would eventually stand behind his decision once they understood what he was trying to accomplish.

"We understand," Maeron finally said, his voice quieter than before. "But... is there truly no other way besides invading another world?"

"If there is another way, then you should have found it by now," Erebus replied. "You have already spent a great deal of time searching for one."

No one answered.

The council fell silent again for several moments as they considered his words.

"Will you... kill the people of the world we... invade?" Seraphine asked. Her expression was hard as she watched him carefully.

"I will try to talk to them first," Erebus answered. "I will look for a solution that allows us to live in the same world together. But I cannot promise that it will work."

The rest of his answer was clear enough. If the people of that world refused to cooperate and chose to fight them, Erebus would fight back.

The council members exchanged glances and began speaking quietly among themselves. They discussed the risks, the consequences, what the invasion could mean for the Scadri.

Aldric also offered his opinion while Valerian listened carefully beside him. Erebus said nothing during their discussion. He simply stood there and waited for them to reach their conclusion.

Eventually, the conversation ended.

Aldric looked at the others one final time before turning toward Erebus. "We... seem to have no other choice but to consider this path. But we must prioritize peace first." He stopped for a moment as though the next words carried a great weight. "Go and look for the world. Establish contact first."

Erebus nodded curtly. He did not say anything else and turned around and walked out of the chamber, leaving the council behind in silence once again.

Their faces betrayed what none of them wanted to say aloud: they could already see a dark future waiting ahead of them.

—

Erebus returned to his own room. He stood before a swirling portal filled with dark energy and stared into its depths with a solemn expression. The blackness moved like smoke trapped inside the shape of a doorway while strange currents of energy twisted across its surface.

Erebus clenched his jaw. Then he stepped forward and entered the portal.

The darkness swallowed his body and carried him toward the world he had chosen.

—

A mass of dark swirling energy suddenly appeared in a deserted area surrounded by a vast plain of tall grass. The portal twisted silently in the air before a tall figure stepped out from within it.

Erebus emerged with his long black hair moving slightly in the wind. He immediately became vigilant and looked around for any sign of danger. His eyes scanned the surrounding grassland and the distant horizon, but he didn’t find any enemy waiting for him.

There was nothing. The plain looked peaceful.

Erebus did not let his vigilance fade just because of this. He continued looking around as he slowly moved forward through the tall grass.

He felt nervous despite his calm expression because this was an entirely different world. He did not know what awaited him here, how its inhabitants would react to a stranger of a different world, or even what kinds of creatures lived on this land.

He had lived long enough to understand that every world could possess dangers that did not exist in his world, and he had no reason to assume this world would be different.

He continued walking at a cautious pace while keeping his senses focused on his surroundings. He needed to explore the area and gather information before making any decisions. Then a loud sound suddenly came from above.

Erebus immediately stopped. Darkness gathered around his body as he activated his Magic. Black energy spread across his skin and enveloped him while his Dragon Scales emerged over his body. He raised his head and looked toward the sky.

A large bird was flying high above him.

At first, Erebus thought it was an ordinary creature, but his Dragon eyes quickly revealed something strange. The creature’s body did not resemble flesh or bone.

It was made of metal.

Erebus narrowed his eyes as he watched the strange bird move straight and stiffly above the grassland. He had never seen a creature like it before.

"A metal bird?"

He remained completely still while studying it from below, unsure whether it was a living creature, some kind of Magical creation, or something else entirely.

—