Lord: Sequence Master

Rosen's time-prediction painting was barely completed when he realized this attempt had finally succeeded. As expected, the closer the event was to occurring, the higher the chances of a successful prediction.

Staring at the painting, he saw the Abyssal Shadow being cleaved into two halves. It was clear: tomorrow's surprise attack would fail.

Something wasn't right. With the power of Perfect Riding, Rosen could share his abilities with the Abyssal Shadow, including the enhanced stealth from the Wolf Totem. Theoretically, this should have made the Abyssal Shadow undetectable. Yet, in the painting, the ship was unmistakably sliced apart just as its main cannon fired. Could it be that the demi-humans had involved a Sequence 0 deity?

But that made no sense. The district military command should have measures in place to keep the demi-human deities occupied. If deities were interfering, how could the Abyssal Shadow—or any mortal weapon—ever hope to destroy the special wormhole?

Rosen continued painting, each one revealing more clarity. As he worked, the time for the event drew closer. Painting after painting, he sought answers.

With just two hours left, Rosen finally uncovered the truth.

The blade that had cleaved the Abyssal Shadow in half had come from within.

It wasn't an external attack. The Sequence 2 operative sent by the World Government to "guard" him had betrayed them at the critical moment.

There were only two hours left, and Rosen had to find a way to eliminate the traitor.

Inside the Abyssal Shadow's command deck, Hannes was busy with the final preparations.

Using the Psychic Warfare Network, he had spent weeks teaching his war skills to all the shadow demons. Under their collective activation of enhanced war skills, the Abyssal Shadow's main cannon would have enough power to completely destroy the special wormhole.

Although the cannon would overload and be destroyed afterward, the mission's success was far more important.

"Take a look at this," Rosen said, teleporting into the command deck and handing Hannes the latest painting.

Hannes studied the painting. His initial reaction was disbelief—he assumed it was a forgery.

The Sequence 2 operative in question was someone Hannes trusted. They had been sent by the district military command as a protector for the mission and to ensure the Abyssal Shadow's safe retreat. Additionally, they were tasked with monitoring Rosen, since Rosen wasn't part of the military's inner circle. It seemed implausible that this person could be a traitor.

But then Hannes hesitated. Why would Rosen forge such a painting?

If Rosen had truly intended to sabotage the mission, there were easier ways. With his stealth abilities, Rosen could have already delivered the Abyssal Shadow into the hands of the demi-human deities.

Why betray now?

And yet, if Rosen's actions didn't make sense, the same could be said for the Sequence 2 operative.

Someone was lying, but Hannes couldn't decide who.

Rosen, noticing Hannes's hesitation, offered, "Maybe this will help." He produced the Lucky Bond Lock and handed it to Hannes.

Hannes held the artifact, using his spiritual senses to verify its authenticity.

Rosen then presented a contract, which both of them signed under the Lucky Bond Lock's witness.

Though it wasn't an Eternal Bond, it was still a powerful agreement. Breaking it would result in permanent misfortune—an unbearable cost for any warrior.

This finally convinced Hannes. Taking a deep breath, he revealed what he knew about the Sequence 2 operative.

The Holy Dragon Knight's specialties in defense and resurrection made him the ideal candidate to secure the Abyssal Shadow's retreat after the assault, which was why the district military command assigned Yasir Aj to this mission. Eliminating Yasir quietly within just two hours was virtually impossible.

Moreover, taking out Yasir wasn't the primary issue—ensuring the mission's success within the given timeframe was far more critical. The Abyssal Shadow's defensive capabilities were fragile, especially from within. Any mistake during an attempt to capture Yasir could result in the entire ship being disassembled internally. If that happened, they'd be left defenseless against the powerful demi-humans outside, likely ending with both of them captured before Yasir was even neutralized.

"We don't necessarily have to kill Yasir—trapping him temporarily will suffice," Rosen suggested.

"You think you can do that?" Hannes asked, both skeptical and hopeful.

"I can try," Rosen replied confidently.

Time passed second by second until only one minute remained before the agreed time for the assault. Hannes cleared his mind of distractions, fully focusing on channeling the war skill Dark Star Flash into the Abyssal Shadow's main cannon. Meanwhile, Rosen, enhanced by the stealth powers of the Wolf Totem, slipped through the shadows to position himself behind Yasir.

With five seconds left on the countdown, Rosen expanded his World Domain, trapping Yasir within it. Just as Yasir raised his sword to cleave the Abyssal Shadow, he realized his actions had been exposed. Holy battle aura surged around him as he swung his blade at the World Domain, trying to break free.

However, the layered defenses of the World Domain absorbed even Yasir's full-force strike, buying Rosen the crucial moment he needed. In that instant, Rosen retreated into one of his Time Territories.

Not all of Rosen's Time Territories contained the remnants of fallen civilizations. Some, born from historical imprints, were filled only with destruction. These imprints didn't always depict the life of a lost civilization; some captured the brief, apocalyptic moments of their demise. Such imprints often came from the last survivors, recording their civilization's final seconds.

These Time Territories, born from utter annihilation, were exceedingly rare. But after analyzing thousands of historical imprints, Rosen had discovered a few. Such places were too dangerous for even his Divine Domain to linger in for long. Yet, they served a singular purpose—dealing with enemies too difficult to handle by conventional means. These territories were perfect for exiling such foes.

Yasir's second strike, empowered by the divine strength of his Holy Dragon mount, finally tore through the World Domain. But instead of returning to the Abyssal Shadow, he found himself surrounded by an eerie, white fog.

The terrain around him was a wasteland, spanning dozens of miles. Scattered across the desolate ruins were humanoid insect-like corpses. The air was thick with a strange blue powder, which began to settle on Yasir's holy battle armor. To his horror, the powder visibly corroded and dissolved the sacred aura.

Rosen paid no attention to Yasir's plight. Instead, he exited the Time Territory and returned to reality.

With two seconds remaining on the countdown, Rosen emerged from the Void Shadow Realm and drew the Knight's Reins, releasing the Abyssal Shadow from the Void Stable.

The Abyssal Shadow remained hidden within its shadow using a Dimensional Shadow Cloak, revealing only its ten-meter-long shadow form. Its primary cannon, aimed directly at the special wormhole, had been fully charged, ready to unleash a Dark Star Flash-enhanced Abyssal Shadow Blast at any moment.

With just one second left, three intense energy surges erupted within a ten-mile radius of the special wormhole.

To the left of the wormhole, a Sequence 3 Wizard Tower materialized out of thin air. The moment it appeared, it unleashed a devastating Void Flare, causing a massive spatial collapse. The flesh-crafted gateway surrounding the wormhole was shredded in an instant.

To the right of the wormhole, a figure stepped out as if emerging from the depths of time itself—a terrifyingly fast assassin. In the blink of an eye, the assassin cut down five Sequence 3 demi-humans who had rushed to intercept. Each kill was instantaneous and precise.

Not stopping, the assassin advanced toward a Sequence 2 demi-human, delivering a lethal strike that severed the target's head in one fluid motion.

However, after this attack, the assassin's movements finally slowed. Instead of continuing the assault, they retreated alongside the wizard who had already begun to dismantle and store the Wizard Tower. Together, they disappeared into the void.

At that moment, the final player on the stage emerged—a Sequence 3 Cosmologist positioned at the rear of the special wormhole. The Cosmologist activated their spatial domain, extending a hundred miles across, and within it, a small burning star abruptly unleashed all its energy.

An infinite wave of light and heat incinerated everything within the domain, leaving nothing but ash—everything, that is, except the special wormhole and the Abyssal Shadow, which had been carefully excluded from the blast radius.

Simultaneously, the Abyssal Shadow's main cannon fired its Abyssal Shadow Blast, empowered by the Dark Star Flash war skill. The blast struck the special wormhole with unerring precision, dragging it into the Abyssal World.

Destroying a special wormhole built by multiple Sequence 1s outright was nearly impossible without three to five Sequence 1 powerhouses working together. The Abyssal Shadow's role wasn't to obliterate the wormhole but to transfer it into the Abyssal World.

This maneuver not only removed the immediate threat to the district military command but also forced the demi-humans and the Abyssal World into a localized conflict. To fend off the Abyssal demons' invasion of their continent, the demi-humans would likely have no choice but to expend the painstakingly acquired Genesis Star Tears.

If the wormhole were merely destroyed, the demi-humans would eventually construct a new one.

Rosen retrieved the Abyssal Shadow, ready to make his escape like the others.

Two Sequence 2s were already chasing the retreating wizard and assassin, while the Cosmologist was being pursued by a Sequence 1 demi-human personally. Surprisingly, no one intercepted Rosen as he used data transmission to leave the battlefield.

From the moment he suspected Yasir's betrayal, Rosen had known this was a trap laid by the demi-humans for the humans. Just as the humans sought to destroy the special wormhole, the demi-humans aimed to kill a few powerful human combatants.

However, the humans' deployed forces had far exceeded expectations: a wizard mastering spatial authority, an assassin wielding time authority at a forbidden level, a Cosmologist combining spatial and stellar authority, and finally, a Sequence 4 Divine Domain Lord who had silently dealt with Yasir.

The unexpected strength of the human forces had completely disrupted the demi-humans' carefully laid trap.

After retreating beyond the demi-humans' defensive line, Hannes immediately contacted the district military command to report the situation. Orders quickly followed, tasking the Abyssal Shadow with rescuing the besieged Cosmologist.

This wasn't a mandatory mission, but if they succeeded in saving the Cosmologist, the Knight's Reins would be awarded as a reward.

Rosen didn't hesitate. Using data transmission, he reversed course and re-entered the demi-human rear lines.

The wizard and assassin had already vanished, but the Cosmologist was being pushed to the brink of death by a Sequence 1 demi-human. While the demi-humans had miscalculated the humans' strength, the district military command had also underestimated the capabilities of this Sequence 1 demi-human.

This demi-human possessed a unique extraordinary bloodline with terrifyingly powerful spatial abilities, allowing them to crush the Cosmologist's space authority with ease. Instead of tearing space apart to escape, the Cosmologist found themselves utterly overpowered.

Had Rosen arrived even ten seconds later, the Cosmologist would undoubtedly have been torn to shreds.

Rosen immediately activated the Void Eye, locking onto the spatial coordinates behind the Cosmologist. He opened a wormhole the size of an eye behind them, extending his World Domain through the wormhole to envelop the Cosmologist. With one swift motion, he pulled the Cosmologist to safety.

Simultaneously, Rosen activated data transmission, vanishing from the battlefield with the Cosmologist in tow.

Barely moments after Rosen's escape, three somewhat disheveled Sequence 1 demi-humans appeared at the rear line. But by then, it was too late—the special wormhole, now trapped in the Abyssal World, was beyond recovery.

A few days after Rosen returned to the human rear lines, the full scope of the operation became clear to him.

While the four human teams launched their surprise attack on the special wormhole, several foreign deities and a host of Sequence 1s had been hired to intercept the demi-human powerhouses. With the combined efforts of the Cosmologist and the Abyssal Shadow, the threat of the Genesis Star Tears had been neutralized.

However, the district military command had paid a steep price for this victory. Foreign deities weren't easy to hire, and involving them in a battlefield within the demi-humans' rear lines, while not a complete violation of existing treaties, did breach certain terms. This triggered backlash, leading the demi-humans to retaliate in kind.

In response, the demi-humans hired several foreign deities to assault the Mechanical Wall on the frontlines.

In just a few days, two-thirds of the Mechanical Wall had been dismantled, leaving countless casualties in its wake.

Throughout the assault, the district military command refused to deploy any Sequence 0 combatants. The humans endured the blows without retaliation, clearly a calculated gesture to appease the demi-humans.

Yet, for the survivors of the crumbling Mechanical Wall, this decision felt cold and heartless. Many had lost faith in the district military command, leaving it likely that recruiting new soldiers would prove incredibly difficult in the years to come.

After the heavy losses sustained by both the district military command and the demi-humans, large-scale wars were unlikely to break out again for at least a century.

"You're really leaving?" Hannes looked at Rosen with disappointment.

"My objective has been achieved." Rosen toyed with the Sequence 2 Glory Insignia he had received as his reward.

"Alright then. The district military command wants to purchase your ten thousand Shadow Fiends," Hannes said with a sigh.

"As expected. What's the offer?" Rosen asked, unsurprised.

"See for yourself. These are the options the district military command can provide. Pick one, and if nothing suits you, we can renegotiate." Hannes handed Rosen a tactical data pad.

Rosen scrolled through the list displayed on the screen, carefully examining the items. The district military command indeed had quite a selection of rare and valuable items, even though the highest-tier items were capped at Sequence 2. As he browsed, his heart raced momentarily when he came across a particularly tempting choice.

Feigning indecision for a while, Rosen finally settled on what he wanted in exchange for his Shadow Fiends. Shortly afterward, a messenger from the Spirit World delivered the agreed-upon item to Hannes. Rosen then transferred control of all ten thousand Shadow Fiends to Hannes and received his compensation. The transaction concluded amicably, leaving both sides satisfied.

Before arriving at the frontlines, Rosen had been full of anticipation. But after witnessing the harsh realities of war, he truly understood its brutality. On the battlefield, human lives were the least valuable currency. During the days when the Mechanical Wall was ravaged by foreign deities, all the transcendent individuals who perished defending it were nothing more than pawns. Yet, no one could criticize the district military command's actions.

As long as the threat posed by the Genesis Star Tears was neutralized, the casualties would always be seen as a price worth paying. War was never without death, and to those in power, as long as it wasn't their lives being lost, it was acceptable.

With his reward in hand, Rosen had no intention of lingering at the frontlines for even a second longer.

He headed to the Glory Empire, the sole human nation within the third of the demi-human continent that humans had seized. One reason Rosen chose the demi-human frontlines to earn his Glory Insignia was the unique products of the Glory Empire.

The Glory Empire placed immense importance on the concept of glory, to the extent that its official propaganda had effectively brainwashed the population. Nationwide, the greatest honor was to serve on the frontlines. Over seventy percent of the district military command's forces came from the Glory Empire. This unwavering dedication was why the district military command dared to sacrifice external transcendent individuals to appease the demi-humans' wrath.

The Glory Empire's obsession with honor had indirectly enhanced the strength of the Law of Glory in the region. This made it an ideal location for Rosen to enhance his Glory Imprint, increasing the chances of obtaining powerful new traits.

Upon arriving in the capital of the Glory Empire, Rosen secluded himself in his Divine Secretary's Study. He placed the Sequence 2 Glory Insignia on the table and turned his attention to the compensation item he had received from the district military command—a Sequence 3 miracle treasure.

[Transformation Badge: Miracle Treasure]

[Level: Sequence 3]

[Miracle Attribute: Grants a pet the ability to undergo a second transformation.]

[Miracle Traits: Mutative Growth, Unique In The World, Eternal and Indestructible.]

For a hunter, this Sequence 3 miracle treasure was a highly valuable artifact. Of course, not all hunters required such an item. Hunters who had reached Sequence 1 no longer needed the Transformation Badge since its effects were capped at enhancing Sequence 2 pets.

If the treasure could affect higher-level pets, the district military command would never have offered it in exchange for ten thousand Shadow Fiends.

Without hesitation, Rosen refined the Transformation Badge and handed it to his Self-Portrait Avatar. Contracting his Self-Portrait Avatar as a pet had brought significant benefits early on, but as Rosen's strength grew, the avatar's utility had waned considerably. Compared to his Divine Avatar—which possessed the Bronze Dragon bloodline and doubled as a historian—the first Self-Portrait Avatar was far less impressive.

However, with the Transformation Badge, his first Self-Portrait Avatar would soon undergo significant growth.

The so-called "second transformation" essentially allowed the pet to fuse with a new extraordinary bloodline. Meanwhile, the Mutative Growth trait enabled the pet's original and new bloodlines to merge, evolving into a superior bloodline. At minimum, the transformation would guarantee the pet Sequence 2 growth potential.

Without this opportunity, the first Self-Portrait Avatar was capped at Sequence 4 in terms of growth potential. Rosen's second Self-Portrait Avatar, created through Sequence 3-level painting, had already been intended as a replacement for the first. Normally, once the first avatar was rendered obsolete, it would be relegated to the Void Gallery as a utility avatar for creating spiritual realm paintings.

But now that the first avatar had a chance to continue evolving, Rosen certainly wouldn't pass it up. After all, with the World Gene Library and Unit Hatchery, creating more Shadow Fiends was merely a matter of time.

(End of Chapter)