Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

Hearing the orb's question, Sylvus smiled slightly. He wasn't in a hurry anymore.

"Before I answer you, why don't you tell me first: What exactly are you, and what's your relationship with the demon race? And what's the deal with this black egg?" Sylvus asked.

The orb paused, and then a cold voice echoed from it.

"Human, I suggest you answer me first, or else these sentinels won't…"

"Kneel!"

"Boom…"

Before the orb could finish speaking, Sylvus let out a cold snort.

Instantly, the two hundred Deity Emperor-level sentinels, who had been glaring at Sylvus, knelt down in unison.

"How... how is this possible? How did you do that?"

The orb's voice quivered in shock. These sentinels only obeyed the commands of the demon race. How had this human managed to control them?

"Your sentinels seem useless against me. Now, will you answer my questions, or should I smash this egg?" Sylvus smirked.

The previously white orb slowly turned red, as if it was consumed by rage. But Sylvus merely laughed coldly as a sword appeared in his hand, ready to strike the egg.

"Wait! I'll talk, I'll talk…!"

Seeing Sylvus's actions, the orb's color returned to white, and an urgent voice rang out.

Satisfied, Sylvus put away his sword, turning his gaze to the orb, waiting for an explanation.

The orb seemed to sigh in relief when Sylvus stopped. Although the black egg was protected by powerful seals that no ordinary person could break, Sylvus's ability to slip in unnoticed and command Deity Emperor sentinels made the orb hesitant to take risks—it couldn't afford to gamble.

"To answer your first question, I am a wraith, responsible for overseeing everything in the demon fortress and preventing intruders. I also guard the Demon Lord," the orb explained.

"So, just a caretaker, huh? Go on," Sylvus said with a laugh.

The "lord" the orb referred to was clearly the black egg before him.

"As for your second question, there's no need for me to explain further. I was created by the Demon Emperor before his death, and inside this egg is the new Demon Lord," the orb continued.

"Your Demon Lord is just an egg?" Sylvus couldn't help but chuckle.

"Silence! My lord hasn't been born yet. When the Supreme Deity led an assault on our demon race, the Demon Emperor foresaw that resistance was futile. So, he gathered the power of our entire race to nurture a new Demon Lord," the orb replied coldly.

"Didn't the Supreme Deity notice what you were up to back then?" Sylvus asked curiously.

"Hmph. This fortress is a spatial artifact. Even the Supreme Deity couldn't track it. No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't have been able to find us."

Sylvus nodded in understanding. That explained why the Supreme Deity hadn't discovered this place. The fortress itself was a spatial treasure.

"Now, can you answer my question? What's your relationship with the angelic race? Weren't they exiled long ago?" the orb asked again.

"Why, do you have a grudge against them?" Sylvus asked.

"Impossible! The demon race and the angelic race are steadfast allies. Do you know why the Supreme Deity wanted to wipe out our demon race? It was because we sought to overthrow his rule. But his power was too great, and in the end, we were pushed to the brink of extinction," the orb revealed.

Sylvus squinted. So, that was the truth behind the demon race's downfall. It seemed there were many who were dissatisfied with the current Supreme Deity.

"Now will you tell me your connection to the angelic race?" the orb pressed again.

After thinking for a moment, Sylvus decided to explain. He wasn't particularly concerned—if he wanted to leave, there was nothing here that could stop him.

After listening to Sylvus's explanation, the orb fell silent for a few seconds, then let out a deep sigh.

"Who would have thought the once-glorious Titan and Angelic races would fall to such a state. It's fortunate that the bloodline seals have been broken, and with the Titans by their side, they will soon return to their former glory," the orb said before flying closer to Sylvus.

Then it asked a question that stunned Sylvus.

"Your name is Sylvus, isn't it?"

Hearing this, Sylvus froze, his brow furrowing as killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"You know me?"

He had been here for quite some time and hadn't mentioned his name to anyone. The fact that the orb knew who he was left him feeling unsettled.

"Indeed, it's you. The Demon Emperor was right. Ten thousand years later, a human named Sylvus would come to protect the birth of the Demon Lord," the orb said, its voice filled with excitement.

Sylvus, however, remained wary.

"Ten thousand years ago, you knew I'd be here?"

Ten thousand years… If he had a past life, he probably would've been a mere monkey back then. Was the demon race really expecting a monkey to save them?

"You don't need to be confused. This was the result of the Demon Emperor's life-long efforts in divination. To uncover this prophecy, our demon race lost fifty Deity Emperor-level powerhouses. All we knew was your name and race…" the orb explained.

Sylvus frowned. It wasn't entirely impossible. In the divine realm, such powers of foresight existed.

"And how do you know I'll help you?" Sylvus asked, still doubtful.

He had no intention of assisting the demon race. It wasn't that he feared opposing the Supreme Deity—it just seemed like a hassle.

"Because the Demon Lord possesses something you need," the orb said with a grin.

"And what might that be?"

"Let me think… Ah, it's called a world shard. It's been so long, I can barely remember."

"A world shard?"

Hearing those words, Sylvus's eyes gleamed. Although he didn't know the exact purpose of a world shard, it was something his system had mentioned, so it was definitely something powerful. The system had also told him that there were other world shards scattered across the divine realm.

Apparently, he had found one.

"The world shard is sealed within the Demon Lord's body. Once the Demon Lord is born, you can obtain it. In addition, the entire demon race will serve you—if you help us this one time," the orb said hurriedly.

Hearing this, Sylvus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Your demon race only has this Demon Lord left, right? I suppose it's true that the entire race will obey me," Sylvus said sarcastically.

"Of course not! Many bloodlines were sent to other worlds. Once the Demon Lord is born, he will summon the rest of the clan," the orb replied.

Sylvus didn't respond immediately, instead falling into deep thought.

It seemed he was bound to clash with the Supreme Deity after all. Whether it was the angelic race, the Titans, or the demon race, all three had deep grudges against the Supreme Deity. And even if he wanted to avoid getting involved, it seemed inevitable. With the rules of Esral continent's world recovering, it wouldn't be long before the Supreme Deity found out.

And when that happened, he would be drawn into the conflict.

"How will it be born?" Sylvus asked after some thought.