The Monarch-Chapter 543: Battle of areas[4]

Kayden once again remained merely observing the unfolding situation. He had no desire to interfere; it seemed like this would just be another normal battle with no ridiculously strong mage suddenly appearing out of nowhere. At least, that’s what his sixth sense and soul scanning were telling him.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Kayden had lost all interest in these battles, as they were far beneath his level. He gave only minimal attention to the situation. His zone won after just a few days. This time, it was a much more balanced and difficult battle, but even so, his zone won with only three survivors remaining. It was a technical victory after many deaths and impressive spells.

"Congratulations to all those who placed. At this moment, we will change the rules a little," the announcer declared. Instead of just a river, they now found themselves in an entire world spanning dozens of billions of kilometers. "All six remaining zones are now allocated in different points of this planet. Each year, you will receive the coordinates of all the living mages on this planet. Every ten years, several hundred million kilometers will be removed. Good luck to all."

The situation changed completely. Kayden was surprised by the method of this phase. Moreover, the time required to complete it was much longer. This would be a large-scale war, not just a battle. The first weeks were merely for reconnaissance. Mages from all zones knew they were holders of laws. Not only that, but everyone was aware of a mage far beyond their strength—Atlas. As for Kayden, no one had any knowledge of his presence; not even Atlas was able to sense him.

Small skirmishes began when scouts encountered each other, but they were mere probing attacks. No zone wanted to strike without being prepared first. It took just a single year for the presence of everyone to be felt. This made the boundaries of the territories start to be defined more clearly. Not only that but now everyone was able to understand the distance between their opponents and which zones were being attacked and which were not.

Slowly, the years began to pass. Only small battles occurred, with no significant involvement from the zones. There were a few deaths, but no more than a single dozen. This was a very important event to be lost due to impatience, so everyone was merely waiting, strengthening themselves, studying their opponents, and gathering information. They were also preparing for the upcoming reduction in space. No one knew whether it would begin from the edges in a classic narrowing system or if it would be something more complex.

During this period, Kayden simply stood still. It wasn’t difficult for him to identify all the mages who held laws, and without any surprise, he noticed that his zone was the only one without a mage who had a law from the stones. This was somewhat obvious, as once one of them was identified, they sought asylum in the named zones. Zone number 21 was a poorly organized system with few prospects. It was very hard for any mage to see a future there.

"Atlas is the only real opponent for you right now. The other mages haven’t had enough time to grow in strength," Netero remarked to Kayden after the two had observed for some years. Kayden simply nodded in agreement.

Kayden and Netero continued exchanging knowledge during this time. They were two individuals with much to teach each other. While Netero learned more about souls, Kayden kept studying the laws of equilibrium. There were many laws, but slowly he was adding them to his understanding. At that point, he had mastered only seven laws, which took him a relatively long time to learn.

As the years went by, the real battles began. Year after year, the number of mages dwindled through small fights and skirmishes. Around 25 years after it all started, the first major battle occurred when two of the six zones joined forces and destroyed another zone almost entirely with ease. This was the first significant move since everyone began this phase. From that day forward, everything accelerated.

The remaining three zones lacked the diplomatic strength to unite their forces as the mages had. They were simply in a tacit agreement to not attack each other for a time—something that could be broken at the slightest sign of weakness from any of the remaining zones. Atlas, the leader of one of the zones that had joined forces, merely had to show a little of his strength and promise some positions. After that, the conversation flowed much more smoothly.

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Kayden and Netero were found a few times during this period. Kayden’s presence was always revealed after a year had passed, but he quickly moved, and no one was able to track him—at least, none of the mortals were. On one of these occasions, one of the semi-gods finally found Kayden and Netero.

"My respects to the Master of Masters and the World Destroyer," a woman appeared floating near the two.

With silver hair that shimmered like falling stars and scarlet eyes burning with determination, her presence was as sharp as blades of pure mana. She wore a black cloak embedded with sparkling runes that rippled like a reflection of galaxies. Her staff, a spiral of crystal and steel, pulsed with such intense energy that the air around it vibrated. She exuded the authority of one who had shaped worlds with a simple gesture.

"Hello, Luiza. This is my long-time friend, Kayden, one of the semi-gods who pursues the path of creation. Luiza, this is Kayden Heart," Netero made a simple introduction of the two. The woman merely smiled and tested Kayden’s aura with her pressure.

That was a rather foolish decision. Her ego was wounded when she felt as if she were trying to push an entire planet while being just a mere mortal. Kayden didn’t even raise an eyebrow at her efforts. Out of respect for Netero, she didn’t allow herself to go any further, though she was curious about Kayden’s strength.