Akros Zero
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23) The SSS-Tier Criminal
🕑 Added 2026-01-14 19:52:05 +0000 UTC...
{3rd Pov}
Meanwhile, a high-level emergency meeting was currently in progress inside the European Mage Association Headquarters.
Dozens of seats around the massive oval table were occupied by stern-faced officials and representatives from various major magical organizations.
Members of the Hunter’s Union, the Holy Judgement Court, and the Heresy Judgement Court were present, alongside envoys sent from other global Mage Associations who had rushed here after receiving the report about Venice.
“This is absolutely unacceptable!” an elderly official from the European Magic Association barked while slamming his palm on the polished wooden desk. His face was red from anger and panic.
“A Emperor-level being attacked Venice openly in front of the entire world! If we do not respond swiftly, the faith in human governance will be shattered! We must authorize the deployment of Forbidden Tier Mages immediately to hunt it down before public order collapses!”
“The casualties among the National Teams are also not low,” another representative added grimly.
“According to the reports we have verified, the American Team was completely annihilated.”
The representative of the American Mage Association spoke with a tone of anger yet also restraint, as if still in disbelief.
Their expression made it clear they were more concerned with their own nation’s losses than anything else.
The other Mage Association representatives slowly turned their heads toward the spokesperson of the American Mage Association with speechless expressions.
After all, several National Teams from the American Continents had been annihilated in the same blast, but the American representative only seemed to focus on the United States team specifically, as if the rest of the continent simply didn’t matter.
It was not surprising—national arrogance and political tunnel vision were extremely common among these high-level officials.
But in a crisis of this magnitude, it only made the situation heavier and more absurd.
Damn bro!
Even when most nations tried to do something biased, unethical, or downright shameless, they at least attempted to hide it behind diplomatic phrases or political loopholes.
But America, as always, was brazenly shameless without even pretending otherwise.
Their spokesperson’s tongue had more freedom and boldness on the international stage than the actual citizens were allowed to show inside their own country!
“From our continent, Japanese, Indian, Pakistani, and several other national teams were annihilated,” the representative from the Asian Magic Association announced, sounding both solemn and frustrated.
“From our continent…” another representative began, and just like a group of students reciting lines in a well-practiced rehearsal, they proceeded one after another, each reporting the names of the countries under their jurisdiction whose national teams had been wiped out during the attack.
European, South American, African, Middle Eastern—no region had been spared from casualties.
Only after everyone had finished their grim and depressing casualty reports did the atmosphere settle enough for the main discussion to resume.
“Now that all of you have finished with your reports, may we proceed to the primary issue on hand?” the representative from the Holy Judgement Court finally spoke.
The man was none other than Old Bao, a senior Clergyman of the Holy Judgement Court and a well-known hardliner within the organization.
Now, the structural hierarchy of major magical organizations in this world was honestly a bit unusual—if not outright confusing for outsiders.
But boiled down to basics, the first and largest institution was the Magic Association.
It served as the foundational governing body that regulated magical affairs on a global scale.
However, instead of functioning as a unified authority, the Magic Association was divided into five prominent continental branches, each powerful enough to act like an independent organization in its own right.
The Asia Magic Association managed all countries within the Asian continent, and for symbolic and political reasons, its primary headquarters was located in the Burj Khalifa—one of the tallest symbols of modern ambition and wealth.
The Europe Magic Association governed all the nations of the European continent, with its main office bizarrely positioned inside St. Paul’s Cathedral, giving it an almost divine or holy aesthetic as if magic required religious legitimacy.
Then came the Australia Magic Association, which—despite its grand-sounding name—mostly oversaw only two countries: Australia and New Zealand.
Next was the Africa Magic Association, responsible for all the nations under the African continent, dealing with dozens of regions and magical ecosystems that varied wildly in culture, resources, and monster demographics.
Finally, there existed the America Magic Association, which theoretically governed all magical matters concerning both North and South American nations.
But in practice, it operated more like a glorified extension of a single dominant country’s interests.
That country, naturally, was none other than the self-proclaimed land of liberty and freedom—America—whose influence overshadowed every other nation under its branch’s jurisdiction.
All five Magic Associations typically operated according to the political and strategic interests of their own continents, which naturally caused a semi-competitive, rival-like relationship to form between them.
Cooperation existed only when absolutely necessary, but in most situations each branch prioritized its continent’s influence, magical research, and national interests over any shared global stability.
Because of these conflicting agendas, a sixth major organization eventually emerged: the Holy Judgement Court, which was governed by the mysterious and politically untouchable Holy City along with its sister institution, the Heresy Judgement Court.
Unlike the Magic Associations, this organization had not formed organically through territorial influence but instead came into existence when all five Associations jointly realized that certain problems could never be resolved through simple intercontinental negotiation or diplomacy.
For example, if one Magic Association declared an individual a dangerous criminal, yet another Association granted that same individual political protection, asylum, or even honorary status, how should punishment be enforced?
Who had the authority to pass final judgement?
Without a superior organization, such cases would explode into international disputes, assassinations, or magical warfare.
Thus, to prevent continental conflict and to create a neutral enforcer of magical international law, the Holy Judgement Court was established.
It was funded and authorized by all five Magic Associations simultaneously, and to further reinforce its authority, it was backed by the immense and ancient power of the Holy City.
This dual backing allowed the Holy Judgement Court to become the highest judiciary institution in the world—one capable of judging international criminals, enforcing punishments, issuing verdicts that even Great Families and Magic Associations could not ignore, and creating laws that governed practically every aspect of modern magical society.
Then came Parthenon, known as the seventh major organization, functioning essentially as both the birthplace and the sacred stronghold of all White Magic.
According to magical historical records and religious texts, White Magic was first created by the Parthenon Goddess Athena herself in the ancient era, and through her divine authority she established the foundation that the entire modern Healing and Blessing magic system relied upon.
As the original creator, Athena was also said to have passed down the legendary Act of Resurrection through her Divine Soul, allowing Parthenon to wield a spell that could reverse even the laws of life and death under certain extremely restrictive conditions.
Because of this, Parthenon did not simply hold cultural or religious value—it possessed literal magical monopoly over a category of magic that every nation wished to control but could not replicate, let alone surpass.
This made Parthenon an irreplaceable force in the geopolitical landscape of the magical world.
Parthenon also worked in tight cooperation with the Holy Judgement Court.
In fact, they did not just cooperate in spirit or policy; the Holy Judgement Court conducted its trials inside Parthenon’s official Hall of Judgement, meaning Parthenon had effectively rented out one of the most important spiritual, political, and historically sacred halls to another powerful organization for the purpose of trying, sentencing, and in extreme cases executing magical criminals.
This act alone demonstrated Parthenon’s absolute confidence: they were not intimidated by the Holy Judgement Court and saw cooperation as mutually beneficial.
Furthermore, having the Holy Judgement Court conduct international judicial affairs inside their own territory provided Parthenon with enormous political leverage and a form of indirect global influence.
As a result, Parthenon not only controlled the most advanced White Magic on Earth, but through its alliance with the Holy Judgement Court it gained the type of legitimacy and protection that made it stand even above the Five Magic Associations.
In simple terms, while the Magic Associations represented continental interests, Parthenon represented divine authority, medical necessity, resurrection, and public admiration—all backed by a near-sacred reputation and a powerful ally.
Then came the eighth and final organization, known as the Heresy Judgement Court.
In terms of political influence and legal authority, it stood on equal footing with the Holy Judgement Court, yet uniquely, the Heresy Judgement Court possessed the ability to override decisions made by the Holy Judgement Court whenever it deemed such intervention necessary.
This alone made it a terrifying existence, because it meant the Heresy Judgement Court was not bound by the normal judicial chain and could effectively judge even the judges.
Unlike the Holy Judgement Court, which focused primarily on maintaining order within human civilization and ensuring that disputes between nations, mages, and organizations were handled fairly, the Heresy Judgement Court operated with a completely different mission.
Its sole doctrine and unwavering ideology was to safeguard human society from everything classified under “Evil Magic” and Forbidden Practices.
In simpler and more direct terms:
• The Holy Judgement Court protected humanity from internal danger, resolving crimes, conflicts, and political disputes among humans.
• The Heresy Judgement Court, on the other hand, guarded humanity from external and existential threats, such as magic originating from the Dark Plane, destructive forces from foreign realms, dangerous experiments, soul manipulation, forbidden cultivation, and any practice deemed capable of shattering the delicate balance of human magic.
If the Holy Judgement Court represented strict law and order among humans, then the Heresy Judgement Court represented humanity’s survival instinct, operating on the belief that certain threats must be eliminated before they have a chance to grow.
Their approach was aggressive, pre-emptive, and in many cases ruthlessly efficient, which was the reason why their presence instilled fear even among high-ranking organizations and nations.
Both the Holy Judgement Court and the Heresy Judgement Court operated primarily from the Holy City, which was considered the birthplace and foundation of the Star System of Magic that the entire human world relied on.
It was in this city that the star alignment theories, cultivation frameworks, and basic magical structures were standardized, making it the equivalent of a central command center for all human magical research and governance.
Their highest authority was the Pope, followed directly by multiple Archangels, who functioned like supreme commanders or strategic overseers.
These Archangels possessed tremendous power in both political influence and pure cultivation strength.
Among the Archangels, the strongest was Uriel, who possessed combat strength reaching the Low-Mid Peak Emperor Level, possibly even touching the threshold of a higher stage depending on what standards one used to measure cultivation.
Closely behind him ranked Michael, whose power was approximately around the Low-Mid Emperor Level.
In the original timeline, Michael famously defeated Mo Fan, and Mo Fan only managed to survive due to his extremely blatant Deus Ex Machina moment, where a genuine Mid-Emperor Azure Dragon intervened directly to save him.
Without that intervention, Mo Fan’s storyline would have ended abruptly and pathetically under Michael’s hand, proving how terrifying these high-ranking individuals truly were.
From this, it becomes clear that these eight major organizations were not merely symbolic institutions but the true pillars that governed, regulated, and enforced magical civilization across the human world.
Their authority superseded nations, clans, and associations to such an extent that even fully sovereign countries were forced to bow their heads before them.
If a nation ever had the misfortune of being excluded or excommunicated from these organizations, the consequences would be catastrophic.
They would instantly lose access to global magic resources, artifacts, cultivation materials, precious items, political backing, and most importantly—international protection.
Such isolation would guarantee a country’s rapid downfall, especially given the constant threat of surrounding Monster Empires.
Without cooperation from the global magic community, without shared knowledge, and without the export-import of essential cultivation resources, humans could not survive.
The Monster Empires would simply trample over isolated nations like wild beasts crushing abandoned livestock.
In short, participation in these organizations wasn’t optional.
It was mandatory for survival, and everyone—regardless of national pride or personal arrogance—understood that fact with absolute clarity.
Right now, seven of the eight major organizations were gathered in the same conference hall in order to urgently discuss the matter regarding the disastrous incident that took place in Venice City, an incident which not only shocked the European Magic Association but practically shocked the entire world.
This was because the World Tournament was being held there at the time, and the tournament was supposed to be one of the most celebrated, prestigious, and peaceful international magical exchanges between nations.
Instead, it had turned into a bloodbath.
At the end of the incident, almost two-thirds of the national teams that were present for the premilinary rounds had been directly annihilated, with numerous participants dying on the spot and many others going completely missing in action.
On top of that, there were casualties involving officials from both the Holy Judgement Court and the Heresy Judgement Court, which made the situation even more severe.
These were not ordinary casualties, nor could they be treated as simple accidents.
When personnel from those organizations were killed, the matter automatically escalated to a level involving international law, global security, and even theological considerations depending on the depth of the Holy City’s involvement.
Old Bao, who had been sitting silently on the European Association’s side, already understood the intentions of the Five Magic Associations very clearly.
He knew that instead of prioritizing justice or global safety, they were currently strategizing to extract maximum benefits for their own continents’ interests.
Their definition of benefits included receiving additional support from Parthenon or from the Holy Judgement Court as compensation for their associates’ losses, securing diplomatic favors, and possibly even pushing for changes within the global regulations that govern magical society.
They were trying to negotiate for leverage, amendments of existing rules, or new clauses that would give their continents better positions for future tournaments or political disputes.
He let out a tired sigh, fully aware that hypocritical opportunism was just another normal part of such meetings and that no amount of moral outrage would change that.
His gaze then shifted toward Sir Luke, the representative of the Hunter’s Union, and after that toward the Heresy Judgement Court representative.
Finally, his attention stopped on Ash Ketchum, who also happened to be present due to jurisdictional overlaps, emergency authority protocols, and the international scale of the disaster.
One was a young man in his early thirties who possessed extremely powerful Plant Magic, while the other was an older man around his late fifties who specialized in Forbidden Tier Summoning Element, making both of them important figures in their respective organizations.
“Can we know what is Holy City’s decision on this matter?” the representative from the Hunter Union finally asked, his voice serious, steady, and entirely lacking any form of casual tone.
The situation demanded solemnity, and so he displayed it.
“Of course there will be a retaliation,” Old Bao replied without hesitation, as he had already known beforehand that more than half of the Clergymen from the Holy Judgement Court were demanding vengeance for the tragedy in Venice.
Many of them considered the matter personal, not just political or administrative, and were pushing for immediate punitive action to restore both the dignity and the authority of the Holy City.
However, to everyone’s surprise it was not Old Bao who continued speaking, but instead it was the representative of the Heresy Judgement Court, Ash, who calmly said, “Unfortunately, we of the Heresy Judgement Court have decided to remain neutral unless directly provoked by Emperor Xyra.”
For a brief moment, every representative seated on behalf of the other organizations stared at Ash with expressions that could only be described as absolute shock.
If their expressions could speak, they would have screamed something along the lines of “Is the sun rising from the west today?! Did we all hear that correctly?!”
Did he just say that the Heresy Judgement Court would stay out of the matter?
The organization known for acting like rabid dogs who charged into any situation that even remotely smelled of forbidden magic was announcing neutrality?
That same Heresy Court which prided itself on aggression and zero tolerance?
Was this real?
Did they no longer care about their face, their reputation, or their authority in front of the world?
The entire statement shook the room because it forced the political implications of the incident to shift entirely.
“Sir Ash, I must know why such a decision was made,” Old Bao finally asked, unable to hide the confusion and slight frustration in his voice.
The Heresy Court’s stance was unprecedented, so he expected an equally unprecedented explanation.
“Emperor Xyra is a True Dragon Emperor, estimated to be a Low Emperor, and considering she is clearly serving another Emperor, the true perpetrator behind the incident is, at the very least, a Mid-Emperor,” Ash stated directly, not wasting a single breath on unnecessary buildup.
His bluntness ensured that no one in the room misunderstood the severity of what he had just revealed.
The moment his words registered, almost every representative sitting around the table gasped loudly.
The term Mid-Emperor alone was enough to send chills down their backs, because that level of power was on an entirely different scale compared to everything they dealt with normally.
A Mid-Emperor could effortlessly destroy an entire continent, not metaphorically but in the most literal sense possible.
The only reason such a catastrophe had never occurred was not due to humanity having strong protectors or superior weapons.
In truth, the only thing preventing such destruction was the simple fact that the Emperors kept one another in check, maintaining a delicate balance of power.
One could say that aside from the three other Emperors who never concerned themselves with matters of the human world—those three likely spending their time doing as they pleased, either indulging in their own power, pursuing personal ambitions, or attempting to discover methods to leave the Main Plane entirely—the Mid-Emperors stood at the pinnacle of strength.
They were the peak entities whose existence alone shaped the geopolitical, magical, and even existential stability of the Main Plane.
To provoke one recklessly was essentially equivalent to declaring self-annihilation.
Ash knew very clearly that even the current Archangels did not possess the strength required to go against a Mid-Emperor.
That was not an exaggeration, but a realistic assessment based on both historical cases and the current power structure of Holy City.
Now, the Archangels were originally human beings who had been selected by the so-called Heavenly Father and granted overwhelming power through the inheritance of Archangelic Wings, which provided them with the ability to wield Holy Power at a level that completely surpassed even the highest class of Forbidden Tier magic.
Their strength also increased significantly within Holy City due to the special arrays that covered the city, boosting the Archangels in combat and making Holy City one of the strongest defensive structures in existence.
The identities of the Archangels changed every major era, largely because the title itself was more political and functional than divine.
It depended not only on inheriting the Archangelic Wings but also on the degree of Holy Power they could exert within Holy City.
There were also specific contracts, oaths, and rules tied to the role, making it one of the most regulated positions in the world.
If all of the Archangels in a given era were at their peak state and fully powered—something that rarely happened in history—then they could theoretically fight against a Mid-Emperor, and there would at least be a reasonable chance of holding the line even if they are not in the Holy City of Vatican.
However, the current era was far from ideal.
As of now, only Archangel Michael and Archangel Uriel could be considered somewhat strong, and even they were not at the true peak required for absolute deterrence.
As for the rest of the Archangels, although they could undoubtedly be classified as stronger than Peak Forbidden Tier Mages, their strength did not compare to Michael or Uriel.
The power gap between the First Seat and the lower Seats of Archangels was massive, so relying on all of them together in a life-or-death battle was not a guaranteed success.
Furthermore, the identity of the Archangels was kept as the single largest secret within the entire magical world.
This secrecy was not just due to political convenience but because the Archangels were literally humanity’s last line of defense against monster kind.
If the Archangels were ever killed, humanity would no longer have any force capable of stalling or repelling Emperor-class monsters.
In that scenario, the Holy City would collapse, the Special Arrays in Vatican would lose their power, and the Main Plane would become a feeding ground for monsters until humanity went extinct.
To summarize: if the Archangels perished, humanity was doomed—plain and simple.
Ash, who knew such secrets firsthand, obviously decided to remain outside of this matter.
Although he also understood that the fact Qin Yu’er was neither killed nor successfully sealed dealt a very real blow to them, and although he recognized that in the future there was a very real possibility of seeing her among the ranks of monster-kind, he refused to take action here and now.
From Ash’s perspective, choosing to engage directly with the Dragon Empress would be nothing less than suicidal.
Not only was she herself an Emperor, but she served the even more formidable Star Emperor as her Lord.
Provoking a dragon was already a terrible idea, but provoking a dragon backed by a mysterious Emperor whose identity was completely unknown and whose power level was estimated to be even higher was an absolutely catastrophic idea.
If that Star Emperor were truly angered, one could only imagine the scale of destruction Holy City and the rest of the world would receive in retaliation.
Rather than acting impulsively, Heresy Judgement Court would simply adjust their internal strategy.
For example, they would increase their search for Calamity Bearers, attempt to locate them early, and eliminate them before they had the chance to gain power or form alliances.
They would no longer prioritize sealing, since sealing was risky and could lead to escape or rescue.
Instead, killing them on sight would become the new rule to prevent any future recruitment of Calamity Bearers by monster Emperors or foreign powers.
It was harsh, but to them it was the most “rational” long-term containment strategy.
“This…” Old Bao was silent for a long moment.
Ash had explained the scenario calmly and without embellishment, practically dumping a bucket of ice-cold water over the arrogance and bravado of the room, extinguishing any bravado about “hunting down an Emperor” in an instant.
Yes, the destruction of Venice was unquestionably regrettable, and the loss of life and resources would be considered disastrous no matter which organization assessed the damage.
However, the situation had already been brought under preliminary control, and with both Parthenon and Holy City planning to intervene in the long-term reconstruction effort, the city would likely recover within two or three decades.
For a normal citizen this timeline might seem unbearably long, but for the major magical organizations—which calculated events on the scale of generations—two or three decades was a relatively tolerable period of recovery.
Now they were confronted with a very simple and unpleasant choice:
They could either pursue revenge and risk provoking a Mid-Tier Emperor, or potentially someone of even higher standing, which could trigger a situation far worse than the loss of Venice, or they could swallow their pride and reframe the incident as an “unavoidable loss” caused by an overwhelming force.
The problem was made worse because they had no historical records regarding the so-called Star Emperor, making it entirely possible that he was not merely a Mid-Tier Emperor, but someone comparable to the Kun Lun Emperor or even the Antarctic and Sahara Emperors—figures who stood at the absolute apex of the world and could erase continents if they were not restrained by the balance between Emperor-class beings.
“I see… it seems we won’t be able to avenge Venice,” Luke said at last, his tone flat yet laced with dissatisfaction.
He clearly disliked the conclusion, but he was realistic enough to acknowledge it aloud.
The representatives of the other five organizations looked as if they had swallowed a bucket of sour grapes.
Their expressions twisted into ugly shapes—equal parts frustration, humiliation, and unwillingness—because they all understood that in the face of Emperor-level beings, even the strongest human organizations could only act cautiously or risk extinction.
“I propose that Qin Yu’er be officially declared an International Criminal, one that is to be killed on sight by any country or organization that encounters her. Furthermore, I propose that the entirety of the Magic Associations jointly participate in the rebuilding of Venice,” Old Bao suggested in a steady and formal tone.
His proposal was not made out of personal spite toward Qin Yu’er but rather as an attempt to provide a political outlet. To the others present, the idea was not unreasonable.
At the very least, it would ease the anger and fear of the common population, and it would give the world a scapegoat to focus on instead of spiraling into chaos or openly criticizing the organizations themselves.
“What about China? They must pay for the losses of Venice. After all, the person who colluded with demons and provoked an Emperor was from their nation!” the representative of the European Association added without hesitation.
His words instantly soured the expressions of both Old Bao and the Asian Association’s representative, as the accusation directly pushed responsibility onto China while ignoring the larger context involving Emperor Xyra and the Star Emperor.
However, Old Bao did not respond.
He remained silent not because he agreed, but because in this room he did not speak as a Chinese citizen, nor as a representative of the Asian continent.
In this meeting, he spoke as a Clergyman of the Holy Judgement Court, a role that required neutrality even when it put him into awkward situations.
Once the European representative finished, several of the other associations quickly joined in, making similar remarks—though some rephrased their words to sound more diplomatic while still cornering the Asian Association into a political disadvantage.
With multiple continents applying pressure simultaneously, the Asian Magic Association could only grit their teeth and agree reluctantly.
The decision was made not because they wanted it, but because outright refusal would damage their long-term influence in the global political arena.
Naturally, anyone with common sense could predict the consequences.
From this point onward, Qin Yu’er would be labeled as the most heinous criminal in China, and the internal propaganda machine would undoubtedly paint her as a monster, a traitor, and a threat to national security.
It was the simplest way to avoid public confusion and maintain social order—shift all blame onto one individual and bury the rest under official statements.
In fact, after further and more structured discussion, they eventually decided to create a formal ranking system to categorize and prioritize how dangerous a criminal was, as well as determine the level of military force, organizational power, or international cooperation required to either apprehend or eliminate such an individual.
This system was meant to unify all major organizations and prevent confusion or political disputes in future cases similar to Qin Yu’er’s incident.
After multiple proposals and debates, they ultimately settled on a surprisingly simple ranking scheme — one that coincidentally resembled the grading system many High Schools throughout the world already used for measuring their students’ Magic Competency.
The classification would begin with C-Rank, the lowest designation.
Even a C-Rank criminal would automatically be considered a national threat to at least one country, meaning that nation’s military and Mage Association should be mobilized against them.
Above that would be B-Rank, reserved for criminals who posed a threat to two or more nations simultaneously, such as individuals capable of crossing borders easily, destabilizing trade routes, or killing large numbers across regions.
Next would be A-Rank, intended for criminals who threatened the stability or safety of an entire continent.
Anyone capable of single-handedly affecting continental-level politics, economy, or military stability would fall under this category.
Above A-Rank would be S-Rank, far more severe, meaning the person threatened the stability of at least two continents at once.
Such individuals would require cross-continental cooperation to suppress or control.
Then came SS-Rank, indicating that the criminal in question had the power or influence to threaten the balance of all continents globally, not just one or two.
This level represented a direct challenge to the human world’s collective power structure.
Finally came the classification of SSS-Rank, the highest and most extreme designation.
A criminal ranked SSS was considered so dangerous that even the Holy City — the highest magical authority — would be forced to exercise caution, take direct action, and possibly mobilize multiple peak organizations simultaneously.
There would be no excuses, no debate, and no delay in such circumstances.
Thus, after all the voting and formal procedures were finished, Qin Yu’er was officially designated as an SSS-Rank Criminal, making her the first and highest-ranking individual in recorded human history to receive such an extreme classification.
In comparison, many dark organizations that had been considered notorious or dangerous for decades were only labeled as C-Rank or B-Rank threats at best, with only a select few such as the Black Cult barely reaching A-Rank classifications in the past.
Just like that, the lengthy discussion concerning the destroyed Venice City, the immense casualties, the international embarrassment, and the political consequences finally came to an end.
The meeting concluded not with resolution, but with a silent understanding that the world had just entered a more volatile era.
Meanwhile, Astreo had absolutely no idea how large of a butterfly effect he had unleashed upon the world, or how drastically the course of history was already shifting due to his interference.
Entire governmental policies, international alliances, and continental defense strategies were now undergoing reconstruction because of a chain of events he triggered for his own goals.
However Astreo was not interested in geopolitics or international diplomacy at the moment.
Instead, he was more concerned with the three newly awakened elements inside his Spiritual Sea and was extremely annoyed that despite having successfully awakened the Astral (Star) Element, he could not cultivate it like any of the other standard magic systems.
He sat there staring at the newly formed energy cloud that represented his Star Element, repeatedly asking himself why the hell it had no proper star tracks, no star constellations, no nebula structures, and no recognizable cultivation patterns.
In other words, it was ironically the Star Element without a single literal star, making it feel like the most defective magical system in existence.
Astreo repeatedly poked it with his spiritual sense while swearing internally, wondering how he was supposed to actually make use of it or grow it without it forming the basic magical structures that every other mage relied on.
To be continued
