Building An Empire Starting From The Labor Camp In Exile-Chapter 60: The Sky

Slya didn’t let the silence linger. "Wait! You’re really a Knight rank? And an Elemental? I thought your power would be in the realm of the Dark Order! Isn’t that it? What are you? Wait, with your core, wouldn’t your power be stronger than the average Knight, and...?"

"Slow down, Slya!" Tiber laughed waving his hands in front of her. "You’ll kill him with questions! But I’m also curious as well."

Atrox smiled. "Let’s just say my power isn’t like normal powers. I have more than one sub-essence. It’s a unique sub-essence that makes it possible to use related essences."

Slya’s eyes widened. "I’ve heard about this before! A sub-essence that grants access to related sub-essences in the same Essence Order. Wow, you’re really a beast."

"You don’t know half of it." Atrox decided not to mention the other things he saw and understood behind the door. Better to keep all those close.

"So what’s your main essence? Your Order essence?" Tiber asked.

Atrox understood what he was asking. Like a Fire Elemental Knight, the main essence would be the Fire essence, while sub-essences could include Heat, Fire Control, or Combustion. Such Knights might be able to burn something down without starting an actual fire. Knights with strong sub-essences were always more powerful within those sub-essences.

And that was one of the differences between them and Atrox. Every essence under the Infernal Dominion was like a main essence to him. He might even be considered an Order by himself—Infernal Dominion Order.

"My main essence is the Infernal Dominion," Atrox answered.

Tiber shook his head in confusion. "I’ve never heard of it. But with a name like that, shouldn’t it be under the Dark Order? That’s where almost all the unclassified and very dark Knights are."

"That sounds very powerful," Slya said, not hiding her jealousy and disappointment. They’d come here for a Construct, but the events that had unfolded since then had dashed any hopes of that. Not to mention, she should just be glad to still be alive. "So what are your sub-essences? How many types of power can you use?"

Atrox shrugged, not answering. In truth, he’d only know the correct answer once he claimed all the inheritances out there. But for now he had only five.

Instead, he asked what had been bothering him since. "Where’s Kren?"

The two of them recoiled.

It was Taiwo who answered from her place. "He’s gone. He disappeared from this place after you went into that door."

Atrox let it sink in. ’I knew something like that must have happened since I didn’t see him here. He’s not the type to just give up, though, so what’s really going on? Is he afraid of my new powers after he failed to get an oath out of me?’

’I’ll think about that later, but for now...’ Atrox faced Taiwo. "What’s wrong? You look as if you just saw a vicious outlaw."

Taiwo raised her head, opened her mouth, then shook it. "I... why did you kill all the workers?"

Atrox knew it would be something like this. "Because I was curious about this power Kren said was behind the door," he answered truthfully.

Taiwo’s eyes flashed. "You did... all this for that?" She sounded baffled. "You mean you could have saved all of them?"

"Maybe? I didn’t try to find out. Besides, I was more concerned about saving Tiber and Slya," Atrox shrugged. He didn’t forget the deal he’d made with those two.

"That’s a horrible thing to do," Taiwo said faintly. "I... I thought you just couldn’t save them."

Atrox looked at her. "Indeed."

He didn’t deny it, but he didn’t elaborate either. He remembered when he’d challenged Kade on how he treated him and bullied the workers.

’You don’t know what you’ll do until you’re presented with the options. Besides, it was the only way I could think of to save myself. If it ever comes to that again, I’m ready to fulfill the promise I made to myself—

I won’t kill myself’

Taiwo nodded as if she’d seen what she wanted. She stood up and bowed. "Thank you for saving me again. My life is yours. What will you do with it?"

Tiber and Slya watched the two of them. How had the conversation turned this awkward and heavy? To them, this was the Borderland, and it was always every person for themselves. They waited for Atrox’s response because it could determine their own fate as well.

Atrox opened his mouth to dismiss her but then paused. ’Now that I’m a Knight rank, I have to carefully think about my next steps—not only about the Borderland but about the organization behind Kren... and Arvas’

’The one thing I know is that I don’t want to be used by anyone. I don’t want to be a plaything for anyone or any organization. I want to be an existence that stands above everyone else—not only in power but in status’ 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

His blood shimmered, and his eyes brightened. He understood what he wanted to do. It was a simple thing, really, something he’d dreamed of since he was a child. Something no one else had ever done except for one person—

The Emperor of the Eternal Skies.

He opened his mouth and said, "I want to be the Emperor."

"What?"

"What!"

"I knew you were crazy!" The last part was from Slya.

Atrox repeated it again, this time with a smile as he thought about the mountains of challenges the word carried. "I want to be the Emperor of the Eternal Skies."

They looked at him as if he were insane. The Eternal Skies was vast, with countless Clans possessing the might of high-rank Knights. In fact, the Hinterlands, where the Soryu Clan resided, were regions for only small Clans.

There were still Middle Clans and then the High Clans in the central lands. Compared to all of this, Atrox, the Borderland, and even them, were nothing but specks.

That was why Tiber laughed and said, "You’re crazy."