Chapter 889: Two Choices, One Outcome
Avia finally snapped out of it; however, she was left speechless by what she had just witnessed.
There was only one explanation for Louven's swift defeat—the person in front of her was an expert at the peak of the legendary realm!
"It's no wonder he was so confident..! Just who is this young man...?" Avia thought to herself.
Even those young masters and descendants of royal blood did not have the luxury of a peak legendary realm figure acting as their escort!
It was no wonder this young man was not afraid of the Eight Heavens or the Fifth Great Clan!
With the Holy Maiden and the mysterious man who instantly subdued Louven, he had at least two backers who were at the peak of the legendary realm. Who would risk becoming enemies with not one, but two powerhouses at that stage over matters that started among the younger generation?
Suddenly, Avia felt cold sweats on her back as she thought back to earlier when she almost made a move against Izroth.
There was a high chance that the mysterious man in front of her was already observing them from that moment.
If Avia truly did have ill intentions and attacked Izroth, she would have not even known how she died!
The thought that her life could have ended out of pure ignorance caused Avia to release a long helpless sigh. Today, she really learned what it meant to not judge a book by its cover.
"My eyes have truly been opened. As long as he has the Holy Maiden and this man backing him, the chances of the Fifth Great Clan and Eight Heavens seeking revenge openly are unlikely. I was just cursing my choice from earlier to stick around, but... it is a good thing that I allowed my curiosity to get the better of me. Otherwise, I really would have missed out on a great opportunity." Avia thought as she glanced over at Izroth.
"It is already too late to turn back. Since that is the case, I must prove my worth to this young master so that I am not seen as a burden." Avia contemplated.
Avia was still unaware of what Izroth hoped to gain from her; however, no matter what he requested, she had to do her best to bring about acceptable results. This was even more so since Izroth already had somebody at the peak legendary realm as his protector.
As someone at the primary stage of the legendary realm, Avia knew it would be laughable to offer her services as his guard. That was when Avia suddenly remembered something that happened back in the main hall on the Thousand Blossoms Peak.
"Wait, didn't the Holy Maiden call him an Apothecary back in the main hall? If he has an interest in pill crafting, then isn't this perfect for me?" Avia internalized.
While Avia was not an Apothecary herself and could not teach Izroth pill crafting, she was still someone from the Fifth Great Clan who possessed an extensive amount of knowledge when it came to herbs and how to process them. For an Apothecary, someone like Avia was akin to giving wings to a tiger!
And, who knows? As long as she proved her usefulness, perhaps her standing would surpass that of what she could ever have hoped to achieve under the Fifth Great Clan.
As Avia was thinking of how to win over Izroth with thoughts that were not too far from his own, Astratis held up Louven with one hand by the collar of his clothing.
"Youngest, what should we do with him?" Astratis asked.
Although Louven looked half-dead after being struck by Astratis, he was still breathing. In the end, this was the Mortal Realm, not the Ancient Celestial Realm. So, Astratis decided that whatever fate came to Louven should be left up to Izroth's judgment.
"That will depend on him. Can you wake him up?" Izroth replied.
Astratis gave a small nod. Then, without wasting any time, he sent out an intense electrical shock.
"?!" Louven's eyes snapped open as his entire body tensed up and shook from the electrical shock.
The shock did not last long and when it was over, Louven gasped for air. But, without even having enough time to catch his breath, he found himself on the ground as Astratis released him from his grip.
A look of confusion was plastered on Louven's face as his heartbeat was out of control and his eyes darted everywhere.
Where am I? What's going on? What was I just doing? Didn't I just die? How did I get here?
Those were the flood of questions that rushed into Louven's mind when he regained consciousness.
"The last thing I remember is attacking that trephasia, and then... And then... Why can't I remember anything that happened after that...?!" Louven thought to himself as he tried to gather his mind.
Everything happened so fast that Louven failed to realize that he was attacked by Astratis. In his eyes, he was simply conscious one moment and unconscious the next. As a late-stage legendary realm powerhouse, he had never undergone such a terrifying experience!
"You have two choices." A familiar voice entered Louven's ears that caused him to look toward its origins.
Just a few steps away from him, looking down with a distant gaze, was Izroth, who had approached the shaken Louven.
"You can either sign a Soul Binding Contract and hand your life over to me, or... We can just skip the Soul Binding Contract and go through with the second part on its own. The choice is yours." Izroth stated indifferently.
The Soul Binding Contract was absolute and ensured that neither side could not go back on the contents of the contract.
Unlike Avia, who no longer had anywhere to go, Louven was still a highly influential person within the Eight Heavens. Without the presence of a Soul Binding Contract, it would be impossible to guarantee his loyalty, especially considering the arrogance of character he'd shown thus far.
Regardless, Izroth had some uses in mind for Louven. Eventually, the Eight Heavens would confront him about Roudin and Zouren's deaths. Unfortunately, there were still many things Izroth did not know about them. Needless to say, Louven was the perfect candidate to obtain information about the Eight Heavens.
"Impudent! You want me, the Destructive Sight of the Eight Heavens, to sign a Soul Binding Contract and hand my life over to you?! You're dreaming brat! Killing disciples of my Eight Heavens is already a grave sin, but with my help and influence, it can be forgiven. However, if you dare to lay your hands on an elder of the Eight Heavens, there will be no one left in this world who can save you!" Louven scowled as he glared at Izroth with a gaze that wanted to tear him apart limb from limb.
Who was this brat to look down on him? More importantly, when did people become bold enough to ask an elder from the Eight Heavens to undergo a Soul Binding Contract?!
As for helping the Eight Heavens forgive his actions, of course, Louven had no intentions of doing so. After suffering this humiliation, he would be sure to repay the shame a thousand times over!
"I see. If that's your answer, then... Avia, come over here." Izroth said without averting his gaze.
Avia's brows rose in surprise as Izroth called her over. But, she did not ask why and immediately made her way over to his side.
"Is there something you need from me, young master?" Avia asked in a polite and respectful tone.
In Avia's eyes, Izroth was someone capable of giving orders to a peak legendary realm expert. If she spoke to him as an equal when even that kind of unfathomable existence treated him with such respect, wouldn't she be indirectly putting herself above them?
That's why Avia was quick to change the way she addressed Izroth.
'Oh? Young master? It seems she's already completely made up her mind. Then, I guess it shouldn't be an issue.'
"Since our visitor has refused my kindness, he no longer serves a purpose. Kill him." Izroth said as he started to walk away and continue along their original path.
He then continued, "We'll be going on ahead. Catch up to us once you're finished."
Astratis and Nomii followed after Izroth without questioning him. Since the choice was left to their youngest, naturally, they did not plan on interfering with his methods.
Avia was clearly taken aback by Izroth's orders. He wanted her to kill an elder of the Eight Heavens? If she did that, the Eight Heavens would never forgive her and she would be hunted by them for the rest of her life. And, as a trephasia, that time was not short.
However, instead of being in a state of panic as she thought she would have been, unexpectedly, Avia felt a strange sense of calmness wash over her.