Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Return II

As the discussion continued, the atmosphere in the hall abruptly shifted. Rami, the strongest of the Five Chief Elders, entered the room. Despite his appearance as a teenage boy, his immense presence commanded immediate respect and silence. Conversations ceased, and both the students and the teachers fell silent.

Rami walked with steady, purposeful steps, his serious expression indicating the gravity of the situation. He moved to his chair and sat down, surveying the room with a penetrating gaze.

Elder Haron, acknowledging Rami’s presence, stepped back slightly, allowing him to take the lead. Michael and the other elders nodded in deference, knowing Rami’s insight would be crucial.

Rami spoke, his voice calm but authoritative. “I have been informed of the situation. The Red Hell realm was unknown and we didnt know what are its trials, but this incident is unusual, even by any other similar realm standards.”

He turned his gaze toward the students, his eyes sharp. “You all experienced something profound, something meant to test you beyond the physical. The artifacts you believed you received were illusions, crafted to probe your character and reactions.”

The students listened intently, hanging on every word. Rami’s presence seemed to give the explanation more weight and credibility.

“However,” Rami continued, “this does not diminish the significance of your experiences. The anger and accusations that followed were part of the test, revealing how you handle adversity and conflict. This realm’s magic is ancient and powerful, designed to challenge you in ways that simple trials cannot.”

Rami then addressed the elders and teachers. “We must learn from this. These realms are not merely obstacles but opportunities to grow stronger and wiser. We need to prepare our students for such trials, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.”

He paused, letting his words sink in. “We will increase our efforts to understand these realms better and provide the necessary support for our students. This includes counseling and guidance to help them process what they have experienced.”

Turning back to the students, Rami’s expression turned cold. “You have all shown resilience by enduring this trial. Use this experience to strengthen your mind and soul so that next time you won’t fall for such tricks. You are lucky this was a mere test. If it weren’t, you all would have been dead by now.”

His icy tone felt like a douse of cold water over the assembly, a harsh reminder of the seriousness they had overlooked. The students, who had been bitterly arguing over the lost artifacts, suddenly grasped the severity of the situation. The room was filled with the sound of nervous gulps from both teachers and students as Rami underscored the crucial danger they had narrowly escaped.

Silence enveloped the hall, with Rami’s words echoing in their minds. They understood, perhaps for the first time, how fortunate they were that the illusion hadn’t had deadly consequences.

Rami continued, his tone unwavering. “Let this be a lesson to you all. The realms we send you to are not merely challenges to overcome for rewards. They are trials designed to test your very essence. Complacency and infighting will only lead to your downfall. Learn from this experience and grow stronger, mentally and spiritually.”

The students, now humbled, nodded in understanding. They realized they had been given a second chance, a rare opportunity to learn and grow from their near-fatal mistake.

Seeing the impact of his words, Rami softened slightly, though his gaze remained stern. “You have the potential to become great warriors and leaders, but only if you temper your strength with wisdom and unity. Do not let pride and greed cloud your judgment. Work together, support each other, and always stay vigilant.”

With the students now thoroughly chastened, Rami addressed the elders and teachers. “We must take this incident seriously and revise our training methods. The students need to be prepared not just for physical trials but also for mental and emotional challenges. We need to foster resilience and critical thinking, ensuring they are equipped to handle any deception they might face.”

The elders and teachers nodded, already contemplating the changes that needed to be made. This incident had revealed a significant gap in their training methods, one that needed to be addressed urgently.

“Except Chief Elders, all leave,” Rami commanded. Immediately, everyone except the Chief Elders stood up and began to exit.

Soon, in the vast hall, only five individuals remained: Ragur, Michael, Myre, Rami, and Luna.

Rami looked at each of them and then said, “Dio will be returning.”

His words hung in the air as everyone turned to him. Michael was the first to speak, “We surely can’t do this.”

“There is no need to worry. He is in perfect control,” Rami replied softly.

“That is not the problem,” Ragur interjected. “The problem is the Tainted Core. It brings a certain aura, you know what I mean.”

“I have given him the artifact to restrain it,” Rami responded.

Ragur fell silent, sighing inwardly at Rami’s words.

“I know you don’t want to repeat ‘that’ incident, but this is different,” Luna said suddenly. Everyone looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

Michael and the others gulped, their eyes fixed on the stone-cold face of Rami. Suddenly, Rami tilted his head towards Luna and then…

“Arghhhhhhhhh… Firgi… arghhhhhh forgive me,” Luna screamed.

Ragur and the others watched silently, not daring to intervene or risk experiencing whatever Luna was going through. They stood still as her body twisted into various forms, the sound of bones cracking echoing through the hall.

“Have you forgotten? I clearly specified not to mention it again,” Rami said, staring at Luna. Her body was now drenched in blood, twisted, her horns broken, and her wings torn in multiple places.

Luna, once a beautiful and majestic ice dragon, was now so contorted she could be mistaken for a snake.

“Elder Rami, she might die,” Ragur said, gathering his courage to persuade Rami.

Rami turned to look at him and then shook his head. Luna fell to the ground.

“Heal her,” Rami said emotionlessly. Myre approached Luna and engulfed her in a blood cocoon.

The blood cocoon started to heal her rapidly, like a mother’s embrace, and within a few seconds, she was as good as new.

Luna hurriedly stood up and, reaching Rami, bowed her head. “Forgive me, Sir Rami. I must have been out of my mind. Please forgive me for my earlier actions.”

Rami waved his hand and dismissed her.

“Thank you,” Luna said, then returned to her seat.

“As I was saying, Dio will be returning. He is in perfect control.”

“I would have loved to teach him in an isolated environment; however, that would result in a negative evaluation of him by the world.”

“He will start to loathe the world. After all, he didn’t turn tainted by his own choice but due to his father’s side of the family’s actions.”

“If I keep him isolated, he will start to resent the world, and we all know that all tainted, whether in control or out of control, are powerful enough to even force Monarchs to intervene,” Rami said.

Michael instantly pointed out, “That’s exactly the reason. The aura they or the tainted ones unconsciously release causes others’ emotions to go haywire. They are walking psychological interference machines.”

“As I have said, I have given him the artifact to restrain his Taint Aura,” Rami replied, then continued, “It’s even a locked one. Without my permission, no one can remove it, not even Dio himself.”

“Plus, I have also masked his appearance. No one will know he is tainted now,” Rami said.

“Will it make any difference then?” Ragur suddenly interjected.

“What do you mean?” Rami and the others asked.

“Masking and hiding his identity is the same as isolating him. The world will befriend his masked identity, not his real one,” Ragur said. “Imagine what if by accident his artifact or disguise broke? Others will definitely loathe him given the history we all are taught from our childhood about tainted ones.”

Everyone fell silent.

“Then what should we do? Isolating him will result in him resenting the world at the end of the day,” Myre said, asking the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“It’s simple actually. Let his friends know,” Ragur suggested.

“Will they accept him?” Rami asked.

“I don’t know about others, but there are two who will definitely accept him,” Ragur said. He then tapped his fingers on the table, creating crystals that soon began to morph and form two figures, Jake and Ramis.

“This is Jake, you know him, and the other is Ramis. Jake found him in a gate and currently they are in a Master-Servant Soul Contract.”

“Hmm, so you plan to tell Jake about it and then have him force this Ramis to accept Dio too?” Rami asked.

Ragur shook his head. “Even if I tell him, he won’t force Ramis to accept Dio. The reason I chose them is because Jake is close to Dio, and Ramis himself is from a race that is close to destruction.”

“Tainted ones are too closely related to destruction, so Ramis will see him as a fellow and won’t loathe him like others.”