Chapter 553 - Link Of Violence
In the span of roughly thirty minutes, the thousands of tables were filled with people.
Each table was occupied by no more than ten champions, powerful and domineering in their own aspects, and emanating the terrifying power that was granted to them by the lord they followed. This power lingered around their bodies in a variety of ways, all perceivable with one's sense. An aura for those who tried to sense it, a glow for those who observed, a screech for those who tried to heed it, and a pungent odor for those close enough to breath it in.
The composition of the tables, paired with the colour of the champions' attires and the aura that surrounded their bodies, gave the empty pocket of space life, making it look like a field of flowers that emerged from the surface of an immense slab of milky white marble. Each branch of tables formed a unique rainbow of colors, and together, thanks to the powers contained within the people that formed them, gave anyone who observed the scenery the feeling of leering at the very essence of existence, but split into its many components.
Those who observed this spectacle couldn't help but lament of how the scenery would have been quite nicer, had all the high and ruling domains been there to complete the picture.
Daniel was among the last people to arrive in the pocket of space.
He had stood in confusion as the other participants had casually taken their seats, leaving no tables empty but the two placed at the side of the podium. He had long heard of the rules of the Exalted Assembly by the champions of Morality, who had tried to get close to him in the past few days. Yet, now that no table was left for him to use, and he was left standing at the entrance, when he looked for the champions he had befriended by their domain's table, he saw old champions he had never interacted with.
Despite being the only one left standing, Daniel did not panic. He knew, thanks to the reaction that the participating domains had towards his power, that the standing of his domain could not be a low one, and therefore, it was unlikely for the organizers to have simply forgotten him - So, instead of bothering with his seating, he took the time to appreciate the scenery while he still could. After all, even though he was now a one-man domain, and he could participate in every future Exalted Assembly, thousands of years may pass before the next one.
It did not take long before the organizers of the event finally arrived.
Composed by ten monstrous cultivators led by the Overlord himself, the champions of horror approached the table by the podium's side. However, they did not sit. Instead, they looked at the empty table by the left, and soon after turned to look at Daniel's lone figure.
As if suddenly aware of having forgotten something, the Overlord walked around his table and headed towards Daniel. "My apologies, champion of Karma. We have prepared a seat for you, but it appears we have forgotten to notify you." Said the Overlord with embarrassment, while showing two rows of rotten and pointy teeth.
"It's not a problem." Daniel responded. He was fully aware that "forgetting to notify him" had not been a mistake, but he did not care.
Seeing as he was not offended, the Overlord let go of his feigned embarrassment, and finally opened his beady and empty eyes to take a good look at Daniel.. An action that turned his polite smile into a confused one.
Aside from the aura produced by Daniel's power, which the Overlord happened to find extremely obnoxious and domineering, he could not help but feel that Daniel felt somehow familiar, as if he had seen him before. This feeling had been brief, and extremely faint, and yet not without cause.
Without saying a word, the overlord scanned his last hundred years of memories in an attempt to find previous encounters with Daniel, but no matter how carefully he dug into them, no shared memories were found. The idea of prying further back in time appeared in his mind, but was immediately discarded due to two reasons: The hosting of the Exalted Assembly, and Daniel's age, which could not have been more than forty despite him looking like a young man in his early twenties.
He would have to investigate these doubts at a later moment.
"Very well. This is your table." Said the Overlord before heading towards the lone table placed by the left of the podium, a table which Daniel had already guessed was his seat, but at which he had not sat yet in case he was mistaken.
The reason why Daniel had already guessed that this special seat was his own, was because of what he had learned the days that had followed his display of power as an aspect of Existence.
The terrifying feeling that Daniel's power had placed onto the other champions' shoulders, was proof that the nature of his aspect of existence was of a higher tier than any other aspect represented by the domains that were participating in this Exalted Assembly, which belonged to the low, mid, and mid-high tiers. For that reason, by tradition, Daniel should have been sitting in front of everybody else, along with the other high tier domains.. However, since he represented the only high tier domain present, the domain of Horror had decided to place beside the podium, as to not force thousands of champions to step back, and make way for him alone.
While Daniel understood this reasoning, and he could appreciate the special treatment, he couldn't help but feel slightly bothered by having to be at the center of attention..
With a faint nod of his head Daniel followed the instructions and sat at his table, after which the Overlord headed towards the podium, and after coming to a stop right in front of it, exclaimed with a dignified mannerism that was only ruined by his unsightly features, "We are here in the name of our Lords, whom we follow loyally. We vow to solve our grievances peacefully, and according to the rules of the Exalted Assembly."
These two sentences were soon repeated by the other champions.
"Good. Let it begin." The Overlord added, starting the Exalted Assembly.
Right as the Overlord finished speaking, a single line of cultivators appeared out of nowhere, and encompassed the entire area. These cultivators were all champions of the domain of Order, and were there to make sure that things would remain civil, as the rules dictated.
While the appearance of this row of cultivators was a surprise for Daniel, that was not the case for the other domains, whose champions suddenly stood up, and walked towards the podium, forming a line that separated the branches into different sectors. Not all the domains sent a representative, but in fact, only the weakest ones, as their problems were of less importance.
According to the rules, the first ones to talk would be the lowest tier of domains, followed by the mid tier, the mid-high tier, and if present, high domains. The last one to talk would be the organizer, as his matters were the very reason why the Exalted Assembly had been called, and therefore, had to be the most important ones.
"Anatole Baudin, champion of lord Duel." Said the first champion to reach the podium, an elegant young man with long blonde hair. His attire was simple, composed of tightly fitting pants, elegant leather shoes, and a baggy white shirt, made to cover the twitches of his muscles when fighting. His hand rested on the hilt of a rapier, placed by the left side of his waist opposite to what appeared to be a single bullet version of the gun sported by the champions of War's domain.
"Two hundred of our champions, half of which my direct descendents, were either killed or kidnapped while inside a contested universe that was later claimed by the aspect of Treachery. We beseech Competition's domain's help to get an explanation." Said the blonde young man while tightly gripping the hilt of his rapier. It was clear from his voice that this matter was of great importance to him.
In response to the young man's request, a champion of the mid-low tier domain of Conquest stood up, and after turning towards the table occupied by the champions of Betrayal, he said with a domineering tone, "The acquisition of an untouched universe is a competition, not a war. I demand an explanation regarding what happened to the missing champions."
The domineering behavior of the champion of Competition did not seem to have any effect on the champions of Betrayal, one of whom stood up, bowed politely towards him, and said through a feigned smile, "Our investigation, led the day of their disappearance, roughly three hundred years ago, has led to no satisfactory explanation."
One would not need mind reading to know that this seemingly polite sentence was nothing but lies, and yet, before either of the domains of Duel or Competition could retort, the champion of Betrayal, an oddly young-looking man with thin eyes and long violet hair, added, "We understand your grief. Our domain wishes to donate two consumed universes to Lord Duel. One from us, and one from Treachery's domain. We hope this gesture can put your mind at ease."
The nostrils of the blonde champion of Duel flared up, and his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword to a point where his fingers became white.. And yet, he did not act. Instead, he turned towards the champion of Competition, who shook his head apologetically in response.
Left with no alternatives, the blonde duelist stormed off the podium, and headed towards his domain's table, at which he sat angrily. His expression darkened even further as he made the mistake of glancing at the champions of Treachery, whose expressions sported a satisfied grin. Had there not been several hundreds of Order's champions, he would have made a move.
As soon as the Champion of Duel left the podium, the second in line took his place, and after him, more followed.
What Daniel quickly realized was that there was no real positive outcome in these exchanges. While the domains changed, and the offences varied, the result was always the same. The domain who had followed the rules was always the one to suffer, while the guilty party would deny any responsibility right before "gracing" the hurt party with what they considered acceptable losses.
These results did nothing but instigate further conflicts between the domains, who would ultimately have no choice but to seek satisfaction by hidden and prohibited means.. Feeding this cycle of revenge and violence.
As the assembly went on, and the first row of cultivators ended, the champions of more powerful domains took the stage, and with them, they brought bigger problems. Unfulfilled agreements, broken alliances, discovered spies, assassinations attempts.. All problems that a simple kingdom would encounter, but with consequences that could change the ecosystem of vast portions of the multiverse.
".. has to fulfill the agreement. They will surrender the owed universe, as well as an additional ten percent worth of what is owed as interest. Say aye if you agree." Said one of the champions of Horror in an attempt to mediate between two conflicting mid-high tier domains.
"NAY!" Bellowed a man covered in black robes with a grating voice that came from behind a layer of green fog that seeped out of his hood and sleeves. "They have occupied our universe for two thousand years! It will take us double that to remove their domain's influence! We want what was owed to us, in the state it was owed to us!"
The champion of Horror's domain turned to look at the man in black robes with what could, with some difficulty, be distinguished as an amiable smile. "I understand your frustration, champion of Sickness, but this matter is beyond us. As per rules, in absence of a high tier domain that can mediate this, we can only vote on it." He said.
While Daniel's domain likely belonged to the high tier, Karma was not Sickness's liege, and therefore, even if they asked him, or if he wanted to, he could not interject.. Not to mention, he had no intention to.
Unable to counter this point, the champion of Sickness sat back down.
"Aye!"
".. aye"
"Aye."
...
Soon, the remaining mid-high domains cast their vote, leaving the champions of Sickness no choice but to take the loss, and begrudgingly say, "Aye.."
The domain of Sickness was part of the faction to which the domain of Horror belonged to, and the two were subjected to the same high tier domain. Unfortunately, while the champions of Horror would have helped him if possible, a problem between two mid-high tier domains could only be resolved by their direct liege. That was the reason why it was impossible for the domain of Horror to aid its allies.
Nevertheless, while they had failed to help their allies, the champions of Horror did not allow for the matter to bother them. They were the organizers, and as such, the stakes of failing in their duties would cost them much more than any domain could afford to lose. To them, the most important objective was to justify the Exalted Assembly, and with the problem of the domain of Sickness solved, the floor was finally theirs.
"Now that all other matters have been solved, it is finally time for us to discuss why we have summoned you all here." Said the Overlord after placing his greasy hands onto the white podium. His voice rang through the air, eliminating any unnecessary noise to make sure that only he, within the pocket domain, could be heard.