Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1267: The Imperial Family

The topic of the conversation between the current emperor and his three heirs suddenly turned serious as soon as he mentioned the Hero of Darkness.

“I was already aware that it may happen during my lifetime. But to think it would occur right when I was at my weakest… it feels like a cruel joke.

That is why I must hand over my throne since our imperial family needs a strong leader in my stead.” spoke the emperor as he looked at the 3rd prince.

“I do not resent you for killing your elder brothers. Even if they were alive… You would still be my first choice. The Eldest was too passive, while the 2nd was strong but immature.

I too was once a passive man until my brother planned to kill me. Kindness and compassion are the last thing you should adhere to when it comes to survival.” he iterated with a nostalgic tone.

“But know this. What happens from here will have two outcomes.

You will either be the greatest emperor of our lineage, or you will be the one to doom us all, depending on how you deal with the Hero of Darkness.

If I had to give my personal opinion… You would think that I never deserved to be the Emperor in the first place.” spoke the Emperor as his expression hardened.

Soon, the emperor warned of the history his father had when he tried to take over the Abyss Empire over 50 years ago.

That how he had to spend his entire rule trying to fix his father’s mistakes and revamp the imperial authority.

Because after they had to surrender, the imperial faction had to offer a lot of land, businesses, contracts, and manpower as remuneration of war to both the Senate and the Cult.

Following that, the previous Emperor also died from the wound he received during the war.

“I would advise you all not to repeat the same mistake and challenge the Hero of Darkness or the Cult of Darkborne.” declared the emperor with a serious tone.

“The Senate of the Republic is actually a useful tool for us. They are easy to corrupt and manipulate.

If we need it, we can shift the blame onto them by saying they did not cooperate or failed to manage.

We can also join hands with them if the situation demands it.” he elaborated.

“There are no eternal enemies, just eternal profits.” cited the emperor as he imparted his wisdom to his sons.

“The Cult of the Darkborne, however, cannot be tamed.

It existed even before the War Deity founded the Abyss Empire and has always existed as a separate entity.

Even though the original Imperial Family was wiped out 600 years ago, the Cult is still standing firm, even after the massacre by other empires.

And most importantly…

Even if Argos Belmont hadn’t appeared 50 years ago… we would’ve likely lost the war and our bloodline would’ve been erased by that hidden ace of the cult.

They have someone called the Champion of God. It was he who defended the Cult when my father tried to take over the entire empire.

And it was he who grievously wounded my father, leading to his death later.” revealed the emperor with a defeated countenance.

“What happened 300 years ago was entirely on the 8th Hero of Darkness.

Despite his crimes, it was his power that isolated and saved enough people, which led to the Abyss Empire surviving despite so many casualties.” he said, bringing out logic behind his reasoning.

“You cannot use the past to ostracize the new Hero of Darkness. And we cannot afford a clash with the cult at this point either.

So my children… Endure,” he spoke with a grim voice.

“Endure and make allies till you no longer have to.

I do not care whether you become beloved rulers or tyrants. Just make sure that our lineage survives no matter what.

That is all I will ask of you.” said the emperor as he heaved heavy breaths.

“Your Majesty!” suddenly, the chief healer exclaimed and assisted the emperor.

The old, sickly emperor was struggling to even breath so his treatment started.

The three princes left the royal bed chamber with a despondent countenance.

They would attend the coronation ceremony tomorrow and follow their father’s orders.

But what happened the next day… none of them even imagined in their wildest dreams.

******************

The present day…

Kahn had taken his place as the Cult Leader and spent the remainder of the day getting acquainted with all the important figures of the Cult and the Chapter Masters of all the legions.

He learned about their history, customs, what field they excelled in, and how best to utilize their expertise in ruling the cult or leading their legions in war based on their specialties.

To Kahn’s surprise, as if expecting his arrival in advance, they all had presented several plans that fit their battle styles and even contingency plans in case they were on the losing end. Kahn could only admire how thoroughly they had planned for the Great War.

But the biggest variable was Kahn himself.

Because they had no idea of his skills, divine abilities, or any particular skill that could aid them in battle. As for the Authority, it was already well known to all of them since all the previously summoned heroes also had the same authority and used it during the Great War of their respective eras.

In a way, what Kahn displayed in front of everyone before he secretly met Morpheus had basically thrown them off guard, and many wondered if they even needed those battle plans, given how obscenely powerful he was to the point that most of their battle strategies wouldn’t even be needed to win.

Just Kahn alone was enough to decimate an entire empire’s forces to begin with.

But what Kahn did surprised them even more, almost giving all the Chapter Masters an existential crisis.

He used his Dimensional Domain and introduced all of them to his own army…

The Legion.

******************

That very evening…

Kahn was sitting on the throne meant for the Cult Leader; he was also swamped with information regarding the Cult’s regulations and how far their reach and authority extend.

The cult’s main attendant brought in a message while all the top officials of the cult were present in the meeting.

A message that shook the entire power paradigm of the Abyss Empire.

“The Emperor is dead!”