CHAPTER 90: CHAPTER90-SUPPORTING MOUNT DIVINUS AGAINST THE CLAWCLASH EMPIRE

Leo could only sigh at the guards’ reaction.

Were they being too cautious—or simply too reckless?

He flicked his wrist casually.

In that instant, the entire void froze solid. Every attack halted midair.

The guards remained locked in their attacking postures, like insects trapped in amber.

A heartbeat later—

Crack—!!!

Space itself began to fracture around Leo, spreading out in countless titanic fissures.

The surrounding starfield couldn’t even withstand the faint pressure naturally emanating from him!

Moments later, a radiant figure cloaked in blinding divine light appeared before Leo.

It was an old man clad in an ancient Starborn robe, his expression grave and dignified as he looked upon Leo.

With another light wave of Leo’s hand, time resumed its flow.

The shattered void knit itself back together, the starry sky once again whole—as if nothing had ever happened.

The guards, returning to motion, stumbled backward in panic.

Their eyes filled with raw terror as they looked upon Leo.

"Stand down," the old man commanded, his voice heavy with unquestionable authority.

"Yes, Supreme God!"

The guards bowed deeply and retreated at once.

Supreme God!

The Lord of Mount Divinus himself!

Leo turned his gaze toward the old man.

A powerhouse at the peak of Sanctuary Law Rank—a true overlord of this sector of the stars.

"Your Excellency," the old man said carefully, "you have descended upon my Mount Divinus. What might you seek?"

His tone was cautious but respectful. The power Leo had revealed, even in that brief instant, was immeasurable—far beyond his comprehension.

He could not pinpoint Leo’s rank, but he could tell with certainty that it was at least Sanctuary Sovereign Rank—a being who stood at the apex of creation.

If this man were foe instead of friend, Mount Divinus would face an unimaginable calamity.

Leo smiled faintly.

"I heard your faction is the Clawclash Empire’s greatest enemy?"

The old man’s eyes sharpened instantly.

"Are you... one of the Clawclash Empire?"

Leo shook his head.

Seeing that, the old man quietly exhaled in relief.

Good. Not an enemy.

Otherwise, he might have had to invoke the aid of some older beings.

In these cosmic frontiers, who didn’t have a few hidden patrons?

Leo didn’t waste words.

"Clawclash Empire is also my enemy," he said flatly.

"They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I’m here to help your Mount Divinus."

The old man froze, taken aback.

Help Mount Divinus?

A being far beyond his own strength, offering help?

He fell into deep thought, running through every possible reason in his mind—

but Leo interrupted his contemplation.

With a simple turn of his palm, a vial appeared in his hand.

Inside it swirled a mysterious potion, radiating a shifting, chaotic luminescence.

The moment it appeared, the old man’s attention was wholly captured.

The laws whispering within the potion resonated with him like cool spring water in a desert.

"Your Excellency, this is..." the old man murmured, his voice trembling despite himself.

Leo’s lips curved upward.

"It seems to be calling to you, doesn’t it?"

Without hesitation, the old man pressed his hand over his heart and bowed deeply.

"Honored one, please name your terms.

Whatever Mount Divinus can do, I will see it done. I am willing to serve you faithfully!"

He had lingered at the bottleneck of Sanctuary Law Rank for ages.

He could feel it—the potion in Leo’s hand was the key, the light of ascension he had sought for millennia!

Leo stated his demand plainly.

"This potion is yours. But once you ascend, I want you to keep the Clawclash Empire busy.

You don’t need to destroy them—just harass them constantly. Can you do that?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the old man’s face.

Even without the potion, fighting the Clawclash Empire had been his lifelong mission.

"Your Excellency, you have my word!"

Leo handed him the vial.

Then, with a final glance at the towering majesty of Mount Divinus, his figure dissolved into the Starsea.

Clutching the potion, the old man felt as if he were dreaming.

Then he burst into booming, uncontrollable laughter.

Soon, this entire star region would tremble—

for a new Sanctuary Sovereign Rank powerhouse was about to be born!

On the Way Back.

Leo drifted through the starry expanse, thoughts churning.

Though he wielded near-limitless authority and resources, the growth of Dalton Town still required the slow tempering of time.

Even if he could twist the flow of time itself, some rank barriers could not be crossed by mere accumulation.

And those lurking enemies would not necessarily grant them the peace to grow unimpeded.

For now, buying time with his own hands seemed to be the only option.

"Perhaps... it would be more efficient to just erase the threat altogether?"

The thought flickered across his mind as his eyes turned toward the Clawclash Empire’s distant domain.

After a brief silence, he shook his head.

Crushing such an ant nest would bring neither challenge nor satisfaction—

not unless they truly crossed his bottom line.

"Or perhaps... I should plant a new seed of hope instead?"

A sudden idea flashed within him—

to build a new and stronger Dalton Town beyond the Sakend Plane!

When his people’s power had fully matured, they could move their entire city to a broader stage!

The brilliance of the concept made him smile.

"That’s actually a pretty good idea," he mused.

Rekindled excitement sparked in his eyes as his form turned into a streak of light,

racing back toward the Sakend Plane.

Meanwhile.

At the edge of the Human Mage Tower ruins—

chaotic energy currents whirled among shattered spires and crumbling halls.

"Lilith," Elarielle warned softly, "the entrance lies just ahead,

but the ancient defensive barrier remains intact."

Her sharp gaze swept across the gathered figures.

Adventurers and mercenaries from countless races had gathered here,

yet none dared take a single step forward.

Lilith’s own gaze rested calmly on the ruins shrouded in magical mist.

But at her waist, the Holy Sword Excalibur began to hum uncontrollably—

its blade trembling with palpable longing.

"You feel something, don’t you..."

Lilith whispered, brushing her fingers across the hilt.

Reize stepped forward.

"Miss Lilith, it seems the Holy Sword’s spirit is resonating with the ruins.

But the magical barrier here is strong. We’ll need another way in—"

"It’s fine," Lilith interrupted him softly.

"If the sword wishes to enter, then we’ll find a way."

Just then, a tall high elf carrying a longbow stepped in their path.

His keen eyes swept over the group, momentarily lingering on Elarielle and Lilith—

both strikingly beautiful in their own ways.

His tone carried genuine concern.

"Travelers from afar, please stop here!

The ancient wards around this ruin have not yet faded. Forcing your way in is far too dangerous."

He looked directly at Lilith, clearly recognizing her as the leader—

and, perhaps, also noting that she and Reize were unmistakably human.

Even setting aside the fact that this was once the Human Mage Tower,

the rising status of humankind within the Sakend Plane alone was enough to earn them his goodwill and respect.