1678: Played

Played

The matters grew out of hand. It was to the point where Dyon ignored Eli's visit for several hours at one point simply to finish listening to Little Precious' story for the day. He should have probably remembered that the 11 month deadline he had in mind before he came here was approaching quickly, with 5 of the 11 having already passed, but he was lost in his own world.  2

**

At this moment, in the main hall of the Unblemished Castle, a small gathering was taking place. 

If one looked from the outside, they'd be completely shocked. The very territory that Dyon had destroyed just months ago stood as though nothing had happened. This wasn't as simple as them using the months that had passed to rebuild the area… No, it was truly as though nothing had happened. The castle, every blade of grass and herb, every mountain peak and valley dip, was identical to what Dyon came to find 5 months ago. 

Rather than rebuilt… It was as though someone had reversed everything to its previous state. 

Within this hall, eight individuals kneeled before a wide staircase of white, leading up to a throne. And on this throne, a beauty the likes of which the world had never seen sat… She was a beauty the world couldn't see, a beauty the world didn't deserve to see. 

Her eyes seemed to hold the depths of the cosmos, shimmering with countless, endless stars. Her hair fell to her shoulders as though it was illusory, radiating a pure silver light despite being covered by a transparent, white laced headdress. 

Her white gown was obscenely long, covering her legs and even descending down several of the wide staircases' steps. But, what was most enrapturing was her perfectly sculpted features. 

Smooth cherry lips, a small button nose, unblemished, soft skin… One could spend days, months, even years trying to describe just why her beauty was so enrapturing, yet still fail. 

The was the leader of the Heaven's Children, The Unblemished One. 

"Mistress." Aslan spoke from a kneeled position. "Your plan is working very well. Maura's abilities are working out perfectly." 

Another beauty – though it was hard to call her as such before one of the Unblemished One's caliber – with long cascading brown hair that almost bordered on red smiled. 

"He's wrapped around my finger. I've never seen a man of his caliber fall so quickly. His mind is exceptionally weak. It seems he has great cultivation talent, but that only barely covers up what he's greatly lacking. With that level of mental fortitude, he'll never become a Higher Existence in his entire lifetime.

"Even if we let him out now, as long as we leave 'Little Precious' around, he'll follow her every word. He would probably kill his own wife if Little Precious said she didn't like her." Maura spoke with an undisguised disdain. "In just a few more months, as long as Little Precious asks to see Eli…"

The eight kneeling individuals smiled knowingly. Dyon truly was playing right into their hands. 

  **

"Dyon, what's going on?" Eli looked toward Dyon with a worried expression. 

He had been happier in the past few months than he had been in his whole both, but there was a nagging darkness that remained, and it was none other than the friend of his here. 

From the beginning, he felt a horrible guilt. While he was able to return to his family, it was at the expense of the one friend he had – a friend willing to risk his own life for his sake. Unfortunately, as time passed, that guilt only grew worse because he noticed that something was wrong with Dyon. 

"What do you mean?" Dyon smiled at his long-time friend, a carefree expression on his handsome features. 

"Dyon, I know something is happening." Eli said seriously. "I haven't paid much attention to the other Heaven's Children, but I have a vague understanding of their abilities. You sent me away before I could warn you the first time, but you need to be careful. 

"Aslan has an ability called Absolute Sensory Control, it really embodies every aspect of that word. He's able to manipulate not only his own senses, but the sense of others. It's too easy for him to make you see something that doesn't exist at all. He can make it seem every bit as real as if it was really there. To make matters worse, he can manipulate it so that it makes you feel as good as possible. 

"Maura's ability is even scarier depending on the situation, it's known as Emotional Manipulation. She can subtly pull on your heart strings, she can make you feel emotions as though they're your own. It's easy for her to make people feel love when they otherwise wouldn't. Even Higher Existences who've comprehended their own Martial Intents aren't perfectly protected from her abilities. 

"If the two of them combine their abilities… Dyon I'm afraid." 

It wasn't that Dyon couldn't understand the veracity of Eli's claims, it was rather that there was nothing he could do about it. In the end, he could only sigh and reassure Eli. 

"Don't worry about me, there's only so much worrying can do. I think it's best you don't come back here." 

"Dyon?!" Eli stood stunned. 

"If they're focusing on manipulating me, it means that they're not looking for you. It's best that you stay in Soul Quadrant. I'll relay orders from here by sending messages through the Relay Station, don't worry about it." 

"But..!" 

Dyon shook his head. "You don't know this, and neither do they, but the situation will undergo a drastic change in 6 more months. While they're focused on slowly bringing me under their control, there's an enemy unknown to even them approaching." 

Dyon didn't explain any further because the matters with Jade shouldn't be discussed so freely, but this should be enough to hold Eli off for now. Somehow between now and then, something happened that wiped the Heaven's Children from the face of this Mortal Plane. 

Dyon suspected that this ploy was related to The Entity. One of its major obstacles in taking control of the Mortal Plane and the Heavens fully were the Heaven's Children. 

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