Published at 4th of July 2024 8:07 am

Chapter 1765 Succession [6]

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

It was information that was meant to be revealed later, but Damien dropped it suddenly to snap August out of his strange state.

It was too random, after all. Plus, what reason did Damien have to take the Dragon Emperor as a subordinate?

As August stared at him with the same bewildered expression, Damien grinned.

"It's just for safety. He's not actually listening to my orders or anything. But, he can request my help if he needs it and he will properly dedicate himself to training you and your friends. It's good to have insurance, right?"

August nodded dumbly. He would've done the same if he was in Damien's position. This information didn't necessarily concern him. It was just an insane thing to hear. Damien flicked him on the forehead, continuing as if it was no big deal.

"You brat, do you think I don't know what you want? I'm not going to run around ruining your dreams just for my own convenience. I only moved the Holy Clans to a different realm temporarily. The final decision on what to do will be left up to you."

"The…final decision?" August repeated inquisitively. "Right, let's get back to that. If the Holy Clans interfered while you were gone, a lot of things would've gone to s– crap. Now, they've been placed in a void where time does not flow. I'll give you three options now. Think carefully about what you want to do."

Damien's eyes turned somewhat stern, bringing August's mood back to a stable state.

"What are my options?"

August resigned to his father's words.

In the end, it was better for the Holy Clans to be contained while he grew, so he couldn't be ungrateful about it. He definitely couldn't fight against Ancient Dragons or even the several lower dragons below them yet. If he wanted that kind of power, then he needed a lot more time.

"The first, though I think it's inconsequential at this point, is for me to kill them all right now," Damien started.

"No, I refuse."

August's answer was instant. As Damien said, with August's attitude until now, that particular option had become meaningless. Still, he stated it since it was indeed still an option.

"The second is to leave them sealed for a period of time. I'm thinking around two hundred years or so. Hopefully, you'll have enough strength to deal with them then."

While August's talent allowed him to grow rapidly, nobody could say how strong he would be in two hundred years. To take on the Holy Clans, he needed to properly become a God before the time limit ended. And, when they returned, there probably wouldn't be such a thing as good and bad Holy Clan members.

They would all be teeming with feelings of revenge aimed directly at him.

Was that a battle August wanted to fight? Was it one he could prepare for in two hundred years' time?

"What's the third option?"

He didn't know, but he wanted all the facts before he considered it.

Damien nodded and held up his third finger.

"The third option is to release them now and place them under slave contracts. Their movements will not be inhibited, but they will be forced to display absolute loyalty when it comes to you or the kingdom."

'In that case, it'll be up to me to turn oppressive loyalty into something true and take hold of them.'

August understood the choices Damien gave him well.

The first was an easy way out in case he wanted to focus on Arulion's rebirth more than anything else.

The second was a path of revenge that he could take if he truly felt like he had a blood debt with them.

And the third…

'...the third option is a way for me to gain control over them. It will be assisted for a period, but if they are forced to act against their will for long enough, it will fester a negativity that they will find some way to exert on the world.'

If August failed, they'd become just as much of a threat to the kingdom as they were before their imprisonment.

However, if he succeeded, then he could convert those who he felt didn't deserve to die into loyal followers of Arulion and kill off the ones who posed a threat.

He would be able to conserve the majority of Arulion's fighting power, but he would also need to put in a lot more work to bring the kingdom into a new era.

'The second option sounds nice, but if I choose it, then I will be no different than them.'

Seclusion separated from the world in an insanity-inducing darkness was the very thing that created the forsaken dragons. Even they who once held valiant motives were turned into belligerent beasts by their circumstances, so what would happen if the Holy Clans experienced the same?

August didn't want to deal with it. More importantly, the Holy Clans were a benchmark for him to surpass and a force he needed to defeat for the sake of the kingdom. They were not objects of revenge that he wanted to dedicate his entire life to defeating.

At least, not all of them.

"Am I confined within these three choices?"

"Elaborate."

"I want to choose two of them, however, to different capacities."

Damien nodded as he understood August's meaning.

"If it's them, then it's fine. I also have a debt to repay to Qinglong, after all."

August grinned.

"Then, that's obviously what I'm doing. I choose the third option for everyone else. However, the Liqua Clan…let the people from that place rot until I'm strong enough to kill them myself."

"Wow, my son is all grown up now. Who taught you how to talk like that?"

"Wasn't it you? Dad, you really don't hold back when you're telling stories, you know."

"You…!"

When was the last time the, "You…!" came from Damien? Likely never. After all, August was one of only a few people who could gag him like that.

Nevertheless, with Damien covering the most critical matters, August didn't have many questions left that he needed answered immediately. His mood had also improved considerably now that he knew that he could still deal with the Holy Clans the way he wanted to.

It was wrong to say he had friends there, but it wasn't wrong to assume that there were many possible friendships awaiting him in their ranks. People like Iridia, Seryius, Cera, and even Eris could become his closest allies if the barrier between them was broken.

Having something akin to a slave contract binding them would definitely make it harder for August to gain their trust, but, as long as he used his privileges wisely, he was confident in forming that kind of bond eventually.

The Holy Clans could reform and redeem themselves through loyalty if they wanted to. If they didn't, then he'd have the freedom to punish them and help them learn their place. The plans were already forming in August's mind, just as they always did at times like this.

Now, there was only one thing left to attend to before August could enjoy this peaceful kingdom.

The forsaken dragons.

His first move as the young emperor was to determine their fates.

Whether they'd be good or bad, whether they'd see life or death…

The power was in August's hand.

And, ever since he left to find the crown, he knew exactly what to do with it.

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