Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

Cedric would say that he\'s surprised that the tower\'s AI immediately warned him about taking this thing out, but he\'s really not. After all, it has to be one of the most advanced AIs out there.

"Apologies. But as you can see, I sealed it quite well... I think."

[It is, and that\'s the only reason why the guardians of the tower haven\'t been alarmed yet.]

The corners of Cedric\'s lips twitched as he heard the AI\'s message. Of course it\'s programmed to respond that way. After all, what he had in his hand was a soul contaminated by the corpse and remnant soul of an Outsider—an existence that is dangerous to all life. And even though it\'s only partially contaminated, it\'s still a major risk for the tower.

Had Cedric not sealed this thing, he would\'ve been able to return to the tower right away, and even if he could, the moment he takes it out, he\'d be thrown to Big Han, and their conversation wouldn\'t be as pleasant as the first time.

[As an AI, my task is to collect information on those who come and go to the tower. I have compiled several potential possibilities on how you got your hands on such a dangerous thing, but if you don\'t mind, I would like to hear it from you directly.]

Well, if it says it that way, how can Cedric refuse? And so he began explaining the matters that had kept him busy since the last time he left. He talked about their final struggle with the Demon Race and how he personally slain the Demon God, who somehow got his hands on the corpse of an Outsider.

He also told how the Demon God devoured the corpse to increase his strength yet was still defeated in the end.

"Oh, right! I completely forgot to do this, but that guy also somehow got his hands on a few people from the Forsaken Race. I don\'t know how, obviously. I would\'ve searched his soul for answers, but as you can see, the contamination of the Outsider\'s primal instincts stopped me from doing just that."

[The Forsaken Race? Truly?]

"Yes." Cedric nodded with confidence. He then brought out a rather ordinary-looking box covered in runes and said, "Here, you can scan this box. They should be in a deep slumber still. I\'ve cleansed them of as much corruption as I could."

Cedric felt the scan passing through the box. The restrictions he placed in the box didn\'t, or more accurately couldn\'t, prevent the system from seeing what\'s inside.

There was a brief silence after the scan happened. Cedric figured that the AI must be going through several programmed protocols to make a decision. He didn\'t need to wait that long because the AI replied to him as soon as it was done.

[This is a surprising development. One that I did not expect at all.]

[Challenger Dawnbringer, both of the things you took out just now were of high value. Yes, though the contaminated soul is dangerous, I can think about several hundred people who\'d be interested in it. Not to mention, the Forsaken Race, who are favored by the Wise Dragon Clan and the Ancient Feys.]

[We are interested in both the contaminated soul and all of the members of the Forsaken Race you\'ve got. Are you interested as well? ]

"Yeah, sure!" Cedric readily agreed.

He already planned on surrendering the people of the Forsaken Race to the tower just for the sake of maintaining a pleasant relationship with them, but trading was also fine.

As for the contaminated soul of the Demon God, while he initially wanted to solve the contamination by using the Demon God\'s soul as a power source, he figured that it\'s better to trade it off instead. He had no way of solving the contamination as he is right now anyway, and he could certainly find more valuable things by exchanging with the tower.

A comprehensive list of items unfolded in front of him, making him feel a bit dazzled for a moment.

Compared to the list of available items he could purchase with merit points, this list was far more abundant. He could see things that he had never seen in person before—some he never even knew existed before.

Cedric was excited, of course. He certainly took his time browsing through the list. He made sure to inspect every unknown item to him to gauge their potential value to him.

The AI let him be. Neither party was in a hurry for the exchange, and neither were going anywhere so they could take their time.

It took Cedric at least four hours of perusing before he made a decision. There were a lot of things on the list, after all. Additionally, he had to weigh his options.

"Okay, I\'ve made up my mind," Cedric muttered. He dragged a couple of names from the list and compiled it to one side, then he placed the sealed contaminated soul and the box containing the people of the Forsaken Race to the trade window.

[Please confirm the trade once you\'re satisfied with your choices.

"Whew..."

Cedric actually found himself hesitating. The list of items he could exchange for his things had a lot of items that certainly got his attention. There were some that he thought were more valuable than both of his items combined.

Choosing from this extensive list was more difficult than he initially imagined. Yet in the end, he had to make a decision.

Cedric confirmed the trade. He had to wait for a solid minute before he received the items he exchanged for.

It was a pleasure doing business with you, Dawnbringer. Good luck on your trials.

The AI\'s presence disappeared after that, but Cedric barely noticed it. Instead, his focus was on the items he received just now.

He decided to inspect all of them one by one, but certainly not here. So he stood up and returned to his personal quarters, where he\'d have the privacy he needed.

**

As Cedric busied himself inspecting and/or making use of the items he traded for, he didn\'t know that the items he traded off got the attention of somebody who held a lot of authority over the tower.

This person was about six feet tall and had a lean musculature with delicate masculinity.

He had a pair of pointed ears, long gray hair, bright green eyes, and a pale complexion with smooth and delicate features that emphasized his beauty. He wore a long silk robe that flowed like mercury; he was barefoot as he stood on the vacuum of space like it was a flat and solid surface.

In front of him were the two items that Cedric traded off with the tower\'s AI. His pair of clear and vibrant green eyes regarded them with a curiousity and slight amusement.

"A human, huh?"

"Somehow, he managed to get his hands on things that even most of the Cosmic Lords don\'t have."

He shifted his gaze and seemingly stared at an empty spot amongst the vast and seemingly endless expanse of space. But if one were to look closely, they\'d see how his pupils dilated as if they\'re zooming in to something so that he could inspect them better.

"Hmm, creatures of luck and progress. You don\'t see that every day. How very interesting."

He shifted his gaze again, returning it to the items in front of him.

Raising a finger, he tapped on the sealed, contaminated soul. That one touch of his dispelled all layers of seal and runes Cedric placed on it.

To others, this would\'ve been a dangerous thing to do, but what happened next made it clear that this person wasn\'t a reckless being.

Because before the residual instinct of the Outsider could exert any influence over its immediate surroundings, the sharp-eared male snapped his fingers, and once more, the soul was sealed. This time, though, the seal was far more sturdy and the contaminated soul was more supressed.

"August."

[At your service, Tower Master.]

"Send this to Professor Goldstein. She\'s been restless lately; this should keep her occupied for a bit."

[Right away, Sir!]

After dismissing the AI, the Tower Master looked at the box containing the poor Forsaken creatures. His eyes turned somber and gentle as he gazed upon their slumbering state.

"You poor things. The Old Ones really did a number on you, huh? Even now, their curse still plagues you."

He caressed the box with care. He didn\'t mind whether the creatures heard him or not. It doesn\'t matter anyway.

The Tower Master placed the box in a sealed container and kept it close to his chest—a rather unusual gesture but one that displays his care and gentleness towards these creatures. He will personally escort these beings to where the rest of their kind are being kept.

But before he left, he looked at the warped space behind him. It\'s one of the entrances to the physical location of the Tower of Prodigies. His eyes seeming to have penetrated through the layers of space, landing precisely on Cedric, who\'s smiling like an idiot.

He chuckled and said, "It looks like things are about to become rowdy again. I can\'t wait."