Immortal Paladin

[POV: Athena]

Athena stared at the enormous spread of food before her and frowned.

“How much longer am I expected to sit here?”

The table groaned beneath the weight of roasted meats, steaming soups, delicate pastries, exotic fruits, and dishes whose ingredients Athena could not immediately identify. Servants moved around the enormous dining chamber, replacing plates before they were even empty and refilling cups that had barely been touched.

It was extravagant and generous, yet Athena was bored out of her mind.

Ever since the Supreme Bearer had ambushed her and dragged her into the Hollowed World, she had been effectively excluded from the contest.

There was very little she could do about it.

The Hollowed World was a formidable prison, one capable of trapping even a Supreme Being. Athena had learned that particular fact shortly after arriving. The Supreme Bearer’s followers had found her before she could wander too far, and rather than treating her as an enemy, they had welcomed her with an almost absurd level of hospitality.

Athena had nowhere else to go, so she played along. She certainly had no intention of waging war against the entire Hollowed World by herself.

The protection and blessing bestowed upon her by the Supreme Fate gave her considerable confidence, but Athena was not foolish enough to believe herself invincible. Her current body was merely a vessel. It was powerful, but it was not durable enough to withstand the collective might of an entire world forever.

She knew that from experience.

Athena glanced down at another dish and poked it with her fork.

“I have tasted culinary delicacies prepared by civilizations older than most of the worlds within this universe,” she complained. “I have eaten at the tables of gods and kings. Compared to ambrosia, this barely deserves to be called food.”

Opposite her sat a dark-haired woman.

Gu Jie looked completely relaxed as she watched Athena complain. Her eyes, however, were anything but ordinary. They were golden, with strange golden rings spinning deep within her pupils.

The longer Athena looked, the stranger they became. The rings appeared to twist and stretch, until they transformed into a crimson serpent. However, they vanished almost immediately.

Athena leaned back and calmly looked away.

“This is futile, serpent,” she remarked. “The Supreme Fate sees all.”

Gu Jie raised an eyebrow.

“As the arbiter of this contest, it makes no difference whether I stand beside the Supreme Heart and the Supreme Bearer or sit here in your precious Hollowed World. When the time comes for a decision to be made, I will be called forth. My lord will use me as his receptacle, and I will deliver his verdict.”

“My name is Gu Jie,” the woman replied. “You should have learned that by now.”

Athena gave her a flat stare.

Gu Jie ignored it.

“Anyway, this is preferable to merely watching from afar, isn't it?” Gu Jie continued. “If your presence does not truly make any difference, then wouldn't it be fine for you to indulge in my precious world's generosity?”

Athena lifted her cup and took a slow sip, and then she paused. The wine tasted different. Better. Her eyes briefly narrowed before she took another sip.

“As the Goddess of War, I would much rather witness the conclusion of the contest between the Supreme Bearer and the Supreme Heart,” Athena said. “A conflict between Supreme Beings is not something one has the opportunity to observe twice.”

She placed the cup down.

“Especially when neither of them is fighting directly.”

Gu Jie smiled faintly.

Athena continued.

“They chose champions to represent them. Immortals and beings cultivated under their influence. The way they prepare their representatives, the abilities they grant them, the strategies they employ, and the decisions their champions make under pressure are all worth studying.”

Her expression became more serious.

“I would have learned a great deal by watching the contest reach its bitter end.”

“Don't be so boorish,” said Gu Jie with a laugh, leaning back in her seat. “Surely there were parts you enjoyed.”

“I did enjoy the military drills,” admitted Athena. “The Hollowed World possesses remarkable cultural differences between its regions. The terrain, history, spiritual traditions, and available resources all influence the way its civilizations wage war.”

She tapped her finger against the table.

“Some armies prioritize individual cultivation. Others place greater emphasis on formations and coordinated warfare. There are regions where powerful individuals dominate the battlefield, while others have developed systems capable of turning ordinary soldiers into dangerous forces through discipline and organization.”

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Athena's eyes gradually became more animated.

“I was particularly impressed by the academies.”

Gu Jie rested her cheek against her hand. “And the tournaments?”

“They were entertaining.”

That was the closest Athena was willing to come to enthusiasm.

She took another sip of wine.

“The competitive structures were useful as well. They revealed much about the values of different regions. Some prize individual strength. Others reward tactical thinking. A few appear to have built their entire military traditions around constant competition.”

Athena paused.

“The differences were fascinating.”

Gu Jie laughed. “I knew it.”

“Do not misunderstand me,” Athena immediately said. “The tour was enjoyable. It does not change the fact that being unable to witness the rest of the contest is a tremendous disappointment.”

Her gaze drifted toward the vast windows of the chamber.

Beyond them, the sky stretched endlessly.

This entire time, Athena had been given a premium tour of the Hollowed World aboard an enormous flying ship.

It had been an experience unlike anything she had expected.

The Greater Universe knew remarkably little about the governing powerhouse hidden within the Hollowed World. Most of their information had come from refugees who survived the demise of the Underworld, along with the limited intelligence gathered from spies sent into the region when the Underworld had still remained whole.

Even then, those fragments barely scratched the surface.

The Hollowed World was far more organized than the Greater Universe understood. Its civilizations were more diverse. Its military traditions were more developed. And its rulers possessed far greater control than outsiders had ever realized.

Athena had learned all of that during her unwilling vacation, yet none of it could completely erase her frustration.

“A contest between the Supreme Heart and the Supreme Bearer may be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence,” Athena said. “Perhaps once in the existence of an entire era.”

Her fingers tightened around her cup.

“And I was removed from it.”

Suddenly, avoice echoed directly within Athena's mind. Athena froze. The presence was unmistakable. It was the Supreme Fate, calling to her.

"Athena. It is time for you to fulfill your purpose. You will represent me as the arbiter of the contest. A victory has finally been decided."

…

..

.

[POV: Da Wei]

“Congratulations,” remarked Heart. “It’s your victory.”

Our battle had never been more intense.

We had destroyed dozens of stars while chasing each other through the vacuum of space, yet neither of us had managed to gain any meaningful advantage. At some point, I had come to a rather irritating realization.

Fights between Rulers of Laws were a hassle.

That was assuming neither side possessed an appropriate countermeasure or an overwhelming advantage in some particular form. Otherwise, a battle could drag on indefinitely. Every exchange required an absurd amount of calculation, and every ability had to be measured against countless possibilities before it was used.

It was mentally draining.

I had always known that fights between powerful Ascended Souls were troublesome enough. Those at the highest levels possessed several layers of immortality, making the simple act of killing them a problem in itself.

Rulers of Laws were another level of annoyance entirely.

I calmed myself and turned my gaze toward the top of the Tower.

The contest had ended with my victory.

Ding Cai stood over Loki.

Well, stood was perhaps too generous a word.

She looked as though she was barely capable of remaining conscious. Her body was covered in injuries, and her sword arm hung limply at her side. She could no longer move.

Heart had distracted me during our battle.

At some point, he had cast an obfuscation spell powerful enough to conceal what was happening within the Tower.

“Isn’t he amazing?” Heart remarked.

I glanced at him.

“Loki managed to deceive the binding powers of the Supreme Fate,” he continued. “He faked his own death during his earlier match, just so he could make one final appearance and duel your precious disciple.”

His tone carried no disappointment. That was the first thing that bothered me. Heart had lost, yet he did not sound like he had lost.

Nongmin’s hypothesis suddenly became far more likely.

I reached toward Ding Cai.

More specifically, toward the Human Soul within her.

Since that soul had once belonged to me, accessing it was effortless. I absorbed its memories and reviewed everything that had happened within the arena.

“Loki killed Nongmin,” I said, sighing. “Your own son. And that’s all you have to say?Now, this is the part where you reveal that the Tower is a trap.”

Heart smiled. “Yes, but I’d rather not.”

Before I could respond, an overwhelming spiritual pressure suddenly descended.

Athena manifested before us.

Her blond hair spread wildly through the vacuum as though space itself had become her ocean. The spiritual pressure surrounding her rose sharply, far beyond what I had previously felt from her.

I immediately understood. It was Athena, except she was no longer alone.

“The Supreme Fate now dwells within this body,” Athena declared. “I shall now declare the result of this contest.”

Her gaze settled upon me.

“With the Supreme Bearer’s champion remaining, the Supreme Bearer shall be declared the victor. In accordance with the contract governing this contest, he shall claim ownership of the Tower.”

“Supreme Fate,” I said, raising my hand. “Can I ask you a question?”

Unexpectedly, the Supreme Fate entertained me.

“It depends.”

I studied Athena's expression.

“If it concerns your ruling and the contract governing this contest, you are obligated to listen to my question and answer truthfully. Is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

I nodded.

Clearly, my efforts to separate Athena from her physical position had not prevented her from delivering the ruling. The power of the Supreme Fate outclassed mine so easily it was making me doubt my own abilities.

I asked. “In the event of my death, what happens to the Tower?”

“It would be relegated to your next of kin.”

Heart frowned. “What are you thinking, Da Wei?”

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

I ignored him, asking my next question. “What happens if I have no next of kin?”

For a moment, Heart stared at me and then he laughed. “I can’t believe you’d go so far as to threaten me with your own death and the death of your kin! Does that even make sense?”

He laughed harder.

“Hah~! Gu Jie is your biological daughter, isn’t she?”

His expression abruptly changed.

“Oh.”

Then his eyes widened.

“Oh!”

He pointed at me.

“What’s next? You’re going to write a will now?”

His voice became louder and louder, almost drowning out the Supreme Fate's presence within Athena.

“These are cosmic powers we are dealing with, Da Wei, not laws created by men! What did you think? Fate here is your attorney?”

“The answer,” said the Supreme Fate.

Heart slowly stopped laughing.

“Your wife," revealed the Supreme Fate.

I smiled faintly, addressing Heart. “The laws and contracts manifested by the Supreme Fate are based upon his Supremacy Trait. My daughter is bound to me by my fate as she is my blood and disciple. So is a wife.”

Heart stared at me, stifling his laughter. “So, are you going to propose to me? Make me your wife? L-O-L. You are such a riot, Da Wei. I pity the mortals who died because of this contest of ours.”

“No. I’m going to marry Xin Yune.”

"..."

The smile disappeared on the Supreme Heart's face, the implication probably hitting him all at once. Xin Yune was important enough to him that he had personally entered the Hollowed World to speak with her.

That meant something. And now I was using that something against him.

I was effectively taking Xin Yune hostage. Something I had never done before was threaten another person by taking one of my own people hostage. It was reckless. A new level of recklessness, even for me. Yet judging from Heart's expression, it worked wonders.

“What do you want?” asked the Supreme Heart.

I looked directly into his eyes. “Be honest with me, Heart!” The humor had vanished from my voice. “Where is the trap? And what exactly is it?!”