Chapter 375: Powerful

The Black Arbiter’s words echoed through the void, causing the woman to narrow her eyes as a wicked smile formed on her face. "I see, my Lord. So you plan to kill three birds with a single arrow?" The Black Arbiter didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly extended his hand toward the two glowing pieces on the chessboard, grasped them between his fingers, and lifted them from their positions before finally responding.

"Three birds with three arrows. Can’t you see, my princess?" The woman frowned at his answer before shifting her gaze toward the two pieces in his grasp, then looking at her lord standing just behind them.

The moment realization dawned on her, her eyes widened, and she muttered, "A-Are you thinking of participating yourself in this game, my Lord?" The Black Arbiter finally nodded, another smile forming on his face as though her realization had confirmed what he had already expected.

"Once a game begins, the players involved often believe they have the upper hand because they consider themselves the ’Operators’ who initiated it. However..." He paused as a soldier piece on the chessboard began to glow, seemingly representing him.

"...If we put the real ’Operator’ of the game itself into that very game, who do you think will have the upper hand?"

The princess’s eyes widened even further as she watched the pieces move across the board. One by one, the pieces shifted positions until both kings were placed in checkmate by the pieces belonging to their own factions.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen that the Black Arbiter had been holding were returned to their original positions, only to be checkmated by several soldiers and other pieces belonging to another faction.

However, when the princess examined the board more carefully, she realized that the destruction of those two pieces had been brought about by a single key player: the glowing soldier. "In a war, there can be powerful individuals, people possessing ridiculous powers, abilities, and skills. Most of the time, Kings and Queens possess such might, but..."

He paused once again, his gaze fixed on the lone soldier. "...There are exceptions to this as well."

With those words, the Black Arbiter snapped his fingers. In an instant, all the pieces representing the different factions began to fall across the chessboard, as though their defeat had already been decided.

Only the single glowing soldier remained standing at the center of the board, untouched by the collapse surrounding it. The princess’s eyes widened as she finally noticed that the soldier had occupied the very center of the chessboard since the moment the checkmate had been completed.

’My Lord... He cannot be described with mere words.’

Silence returned to the void as the woman continued staring at the chessboard, trying to comprehend the meaning behind what she had just witnessed. After a brief moment, she finally turned toward the Black Arbiter and asked, "Then what do you plan to do now, my Lord?"

The Black Arbiter lifted his head and exhaled softly before giving his answer.

"You need to contact the ’Realm of Abyss’. I will set the stage once you give me the signal." The princess paused for a moment, absorbing his instructions, before nodding with a serious expression.

"I will do so, my Lord. I hope you come and visit my home once in a while." With those words, her figure began to fade away as though her body were made of wind, leaving the Black Arbiter alone in the endless void.

"There is another variable here...That day..." he muttered, his thoughts drifting toward a certain incident involving a seemingly angelic creature with five different wings, each bearing eyes upon them.

He remained silent for a moment before narrowing his eyes and thinking, ’I must take them into consideration as well. It seems they are not from here.’ With that thought, he snapped his fingers once again, altering the chessboard and changing it from three factions to four.

...

Meanwhile...

Back at the Conclave, Atlas could be seen following Dravia toward the Primartia Conclave, his gaze wandering across the massive structures surrounding them. He had already seen Kael, Zaakrax, Velmira, Solaris, Eliana, and the Ancients staying in an entirely different structure, where they were either resting or training under the guidance of Conclave members.

They seemed to have settled into their new surroundings without any difficulties, as though they had already become accustomed to life within the Conclave within those ten days.

As for Seraphiel, Atlas had already taken her to the Celestial Sanctum, where the seven individuals who had intended to train her were waiting. They had decided to take responsibility for her training themselves rather than entrusting her to a premature member who didn’t even know that she possessed the Phoenix Soul.

Atlas hadn’t objected to their arrangement, especially since Oriendar himself had reassured him that everything would proceed properly. While they had given Atlas himself access to any facilities and resources he wanted to take for himself.

After all, he had passed a test that even most of the Grand Regents couldn’t pass even after giving it multiple times. Accepting that, Atlas had wanted to go to the Primartia Library mentioned by Oriendar before the test, making the Regents assign Dravia to escort him there.

’Well, I still took measures beforehand. If anything happens to her, I’ll be alerted immediately.’ Atlas thought as he continued walking, his attention shifting toward a massive black, spherical structure in the distance.

Its appearance was distinctly different from the surrounding buildings, and he couldn’t help but examine it with curiosity as he followed Dravia through the vast Conclave grounds.

"Taking in the view, I suppose?" Dravia asked from ahead, noticing that Atlas’s attention had wandered toward the distant structure. Atlas turned toward her and nodded before replying, "Yes. That structure seems different and rather peculiar."

Dravia nodded in response and chuckled slightly before explaining, "That structure is where the three Pillars reside. It contains their immeasurable power and prevents it from spreading outside. If even their passive energy comes into contact with you, you’ll die."

Atlas frowned at her explanation, and a question immediately surfaced in his mind. "Are they really that powerful? If they are, then why don’t they take action against the Weimbrons and the other powerful forces in the Galaxy?"

Dravia stopped walking at his question and lifted her head, directing her gaze toward the massive doorway ahead of them. "We are here," she said, prompting Atlas to look forward as well.

Before him stood a massive door radiating an intense aura, yet there was no visible room or chamber behind it. Beyond the doorway lay nothing but empty air, an unusual sight that caused Atlas to frown once again.

However, before he could ask about it, Dravia continued answering his earlier question, turning toward him as she spoke.

"You asked why those three don’t take action against the other factions in the Galaxy themselves? It’s because of one simple reason..." She paused briefly, allowing her words to settle before revealing the answer.

"If they did so, they would literally destroy the very Galaxy they’re trying to protect."

In an instant, Atlas’s eyes widened, ’What?! Destroy the Galaxy?!!!’