Hero of Darkness

Meanwhile…

In the heart of a different artificial dimension, a breathtaking natural scenery unfolded before the eyes of the mysterious group of 12 Saints.

Enclosed within a vast dome-like ethereal barrier, they gathered amidst an expansive open garden that bloomed with vibrant flora and cascading waterfalls while surrounded by mountain peaks. The air was pure and infused with serene energy, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.

The Saints, their identities concealed by voluminous robes that draped their bodies, possessed an array of physical forms and sizes. Each robe bore the distinct mark of their elemental affinity, indicating their mastery over different forces of nature. Despite their varied appearances, a sense of unity permeated the air, binding them together as an enigmatic assembly.

Within their ranks, even the weakest among them boasted the impressive stature of a 6th-stage saint, a testament to their formidable prowess and overall dangerous strength that even an 8th-stage saint could not face on their own.

"Dammit! Everyone is laughing at us at this point!

Despite having the best ways to track him, we still haven't caught him."

A towering figure in the brown regal cloak slammed his fist against a nearby stone pillar, his frustration palpable. His voice boomed with a mix of anger and exasperation, echoing through the secluded meeting space. Standing at an imposing three meters tall, he exuded an air of authority and power.

The other eleven Saints in the group exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of concern. They understood the weight of their failure and the growing mockery that surrounded their pursuit.

Despite possessing unparalleled tracking skills and resources, their target continued to elude them, evading capture with a maddening prowess.

"The Empress of my empire will have my head if I don't show any results within a month." spoke this veiled saint.

Right then… a female saint in blue robes, her skin adorned with lustrous fish scales and gills adorning her neck, voiced her frustrations with a sense of urgency. Her words reverberated through the state-of-the-art meeting place, adding to the already charged atmosphere.

Her voice trembled with a mixture of concern and desperation as she continued…

"The Empress of the Beast Empire isn't the only one. Even our Emperors and Empresses have given all of us an ultimatum.

None of them are pleased with our progress in finding him."

The other saints in the room exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions mirroring the growing unease within their hearts. They knew all too well the weight of the consequences that awaited them should they fail.

The murmurs of agreement filled the air as the other saints nodded in acknowledgment of the difficulties they faced.

They were the chosen few, entrusted with the task of capturing the Hero of Darkness by their respective empires due to the grudges and scars that were left on their minds because of the slaughter caused by the 8th Hero of Darkness 300 years ago.

Yet, their progress seemed to fall short of the lofty expectations set upon them.

"Yes, we didn't find him in the Empire of Water either.

Every time we feel like we're close to catching the Hero of Darkness, we are left with nothing but dust at the last moment." said a Fireborne saint whose fiery hair swirled and floated in the air like seaweed underwater.

"Don't you all find it strange? Every time, there is always some new clue and some pivotal information that suddenly appears after we fail.

And then we go to those empires following the signals given by the artifacts that were gathered by our empires during the purge of the Abyss Empire 300 years ago.

And every single time, we return empty-handed, and then all the artifacts each of us possesses give us all another clues and directions." spoke another individual among the group of saints, a figure stood out with distinctive features that hinted at their affiliation with the Viden Empire, the esteemed servants of the Goddess of Knowledge.

This individual possessed four magnificent wings on his back; resembling those of a bird, adorned with intricate patterns of shimmering gold and soothing turquoise.

Right then, another voice echoed…

"We have searched through 6 Empires now in the past 3 years. Yet we have nothing to show for it." his serious voice turned the surroundings somber in just a single sentence.

"Do you all understand what that means?

That either all of our tracking artifacts made by Cult of Darkborne are faulty from the beginning…" said another saint in a dark gray cloak then shared his honest insight into their current predicament.

"Or someone has been messing with all of us using our reliance on these artifacts.

Like a shepherd leading a herd of sheep, dictating our direction and leading us away from the real location of the Hero of Darkness." he declared.

The other members of the mysterious group formed solely to hunt the Hero of Darkness had incredulous expressions.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy as the saint in the dark gray cloak voiced his concerns, cutting through the tension with his stark analysis. His words resonated with a sense of urgency and a hint of frustration. The other saints listened intently, their expressions reflecting a mixture of contemplation and apprehension.

His statement brought forth two unsettling possibilities, both of which had grave implications.

The first possibility implied a fundamental flaw in the tracking artifacts created by the Cult of Darkborne, the very tools they had relied upon to guide their search for the elusive Hero of Darkness. If this were true, it meant that their efforts thus far had been in vain, leading them astray and wasting precious time.

The second possibility, however, presented an even more unsettling notion. It suggested the presence of a manipulative force deliberately misleading them, using their reliance on the artifacts as a means to divert their attention from the true location of the Hero of Darkness. This implied a level of cunning and deception that left the group feeling vulnerable and exposed.

"Who could it be?

The Cult of Darkborne was wiped out and no one except the Magus Patriarch of their cult could know how to alter the functions of those artifacts from this far.

And that person too would need to be at least an 8th stage saint." spoke the saintess whose beauty would even give an inferiority complex to female High Elves.

"There is no such foolish being in the world left and if there was someone who had sided with them despite knowing the consequences, all of our empires would have found out with our shared intelligence by now according to the pact made between the Emperors." spoke a saint veiled in yellow garbs, someone who belonged to the Empire of Time.

To this declaration, a 4-meter-tall saint with two brown horns protruding from his forehead, long black nails on his gray-skinned arms, and dark red shoulder-length hair spoke in a skeptical tone…

His physical features filled with tattoos written in Kanji, reminiscent of both Humans and the ancient Dragon and True Demon races, set him apart from the others in the room.

This was a saint from the Empire of Space, the very individual who confirmed that the Hero of Darkness chose the Dimensional Law divine ability.

"I do not think we can go around pointing fingers at any of the Emperors and Empresses.

However, I do believe we need to stop this mindless search and gather at that place instead." he proposed an idea.

"Are you out of your mind?!

It's like declaring to the world and our respective empires about how incompetent we are." exclaimed the four-winged saint as his beak nearly became visible out of his hood.

"So what?

By now, we know that he must need to go there. Otherwise, he would die if he didn't show up.

Even with the help of the Cult of Darkborne, he cannot skip this vital custom.

His very existence as the Hero of Darkness will force him to go to that place even if he didn't want to." spoke the Fireborne saint and a glint of excited smirk appeared on his face.

"And this time we all will be waiting…" his grim tone then resounded in this artificial realm.

"At the Conclave of Heroes."