Chapter 159: Magnanimous

A bead of sweat rolled down the temple of a senior delegate.

Another stiffened in his seat, his fingers digging into the armrests. Several others instinctively held their breath, their expressions turning pale and grim as they attempted to process the sheer density of the aura surrounding them.

This was not ordinary death mana.

Even high-tier Lords specializing in the Death path could not casually manifest such a terrifying concentration across interstellar space.

The energy felt ancient, profound, and impossible to measure, as though the chamber had been dragged directly to the threshold of a cosmic graveyard where entire civilizations had met their end.

The silver-haired councilor remained frozen, his eyes widening in alarm.

‘What in the world is this?!’

As a Tier IV Ascendant Lord, he was no stranger to overwhelming force. He had encountered terrifying entities across the cosmos, and his experience allowed him to instantly distinguish an impressive trick from something that genuinely shattered his understanding.

This was unequivocally the latter.

The density of the death mana was simply absurd.

‘Could this person actually be beyond the Ascendant stage?!’

The possibility sent a freezing chill down his spine.

No Ascendant Lord he had ever encountered possessed death mana of this magnitude.

If the mysterious Lord had truly reached the Transcendent stage, the implications were staggering. Such an entity would stand among the most terrifying existences in the known universe.

And yet, the pressure had manifested without warning, spreading throughout the chamber without fracturing a single floor tile or disrupting a single holographic array.

It was as if its owner possessed absolute, microscopic control over every trace of it.

The other councilors rapidly reached the same terrifying conclusion.

Whatever doubts they had harbored moments earlier crumbled beneath the weight of the overwhelming presence.

The voice on the other end of the communicator had not even bothered to offer a verbal defense. He had simply allowed them to taste a fraction of his power.

That alone spoke volumes.

Of course, they were all completely wrong.

The death mana they felt did not exist.

Not a single trace of it had entered the Council chamber.

Every single sensation, every shiver, and every bead of cold sweat had been manufactured directly inside their minds by Seraphina.

Her manipulation of [Psions] allowed her to rewrite perception on a level that ordinary mana users could scarcely comprehend.

Rather than projecting an actual aura, she had simply convinced every councilor’s brain that an unimaginably dense concentration of death mana was crushing them.

Their minds supplied the rest.

And because the illusion had been constructed with such flawless, reality-bending precision, even Louis Ferdinand had fallen completely victim to it.

Sitting in his high chair, the elderly Overseer had no way of knowing that the terrifying force overwhelming his senses was nothing more than a carefully crafted mental projection.

Across the communicator, Cassian remained perfectly relaxed on his sofa.

He had proposed this gamble because he knew precisely what his mother was capable of executing.

If the Council demanded proof of his identity, they would receive it. Seraphina would supply the visual and sensory evidence, and Cassian would reap the benefits without exposing a single true secret.

‘Having a mother like this certainly makes life easy.’

The Legacy Family councilor who had questioned his authenticity was the first to yield.

His arrogant posture collapsed as he slowly bowed his head toward the central console.

“Please accept my humblest apologies, Lord. I meant no offense. Given the gravity of the situation, I simply felt verification was prudent.”

The overwhelming pressure in the chamber lingered.

For a terrifying second, the councilor wondered if he had inadvertently sealed his own doom.

However, when the mysterious Lord finally responded, his voice carried no trace of irritation whatsoever.

”There is no need to apologize. I am not so petty as to take offense at something so trivial.”

The answer was delivered with such effortless, casual magnanimity that several councilors exchanged breathless glances.

No anger or threats. Not even the slightest hint of wounded pride.

The mysterious Lord had every reason to take offense at their skepticism, yet he had dismissed the slight as though it were beneath his notice.

‘What a magnanimous, noble entity!’

The silver-haired councilor raised his head, visibly exhaling in sheer relief. “Thank you for your gracious understanding, Lord.”

The rest of the assembly began to relax as well, though none dared to challenge the overwhelming aura still pressing softly against their minds.

Their earlier panic was swiftly replaced by a mix of awe and cautious optimism.

Perhaps this outcome was even better than they had anticipated.

Their original directive had been to establish contact with the mysterious Lord and secure his favor.

Depending on his temperament, they had prepared to offer rare planetary resources, ancient artifacts, or strategic privileges to earn his goodwill.

They had even discussed far more personal incentives.

Now, the scenario appeared remarkably promising.

If the mysterious Lord was truly as powerful as they suspected, securing his alliance could prove invaluable to the Astral Dominion.

And if he was as reasonable and benevolent as his response implied, negotiations would be far smoother than expected.

Several councilors were already recalculating their strategies.

Perhaps they wouldn’t need to surrender as many state assets as they had feared.

Perhaps the Lord himself would be open to an alliance, provided they demonstrated absolute sincerity.

A few representatives even began to smile.

Louis did not.

The elderly Overseer sat in complete silence, his sharp gaze locked onto the communicator resting before him.

Something felt profoundly wrong.

He couldn’t explain it. He couldn’t comprehend how Cassian could project his death mana across the vast distance separating Planet Roca from Planet Gaia, nor how he could execute such fine-scale spatial presence as if he were standing right inside the hall.

By all logical measures, the interaction was proceeding exceptionally well.

Yet an inexplicable, persistent sense of dread continued to gnaw at his gut.

‘Why does this feel like we’re about to get scammed?’

Louis had spent centuries navigating the treacherous political waters of the Astral Dominion.

He had dealt with scheming nobles, power-hungry military commanders, and Legacy Family snakes who could turn a pleasant greeting into a bloody trap.

He had learned to trust his instincts above all else.

And right now, every single instinct he possessed was screaming that he was walking straight into a trap.