Back to the scene, the tension in the air was tightening like a drawn bowstring.

The pressure was suffocating, it was as if the space was being tightly squeezed by an invisible giant hand.

And whatever happened next, it caused the surrounding clouds up above to scatter apart like a ripple.

Ten figures hovered in the sky, eyes locked onto the individual in the center.

These were the Broken Blades, the true lords under Mize's hand.

They encircled the dark elf, locking him in their sights.

Faint arcs of warp energy curled around their hands, and any movements from the person would be resulted in immediate attack from them.

Just be well aware of one thing. Just one gesture alone from their hands, it could cause a disastrous consequences to the land beneath them.

But what came next threw the mood off course entirely.

“I’m sorry,” the dark elf spoke suddenly, his tone calm, disarming. The way his body leaned slightly gestured something else that none of them was expecting.

“But I didn’t come here to fight, dear human Lords.”

Huh?

What is this sissy dark elven guy on about?

Mize's brain ran a train of questions inside.

“Not to fight?” Mize’s voice broke through first, laced with suspicion.

Her first thought to his words?

Yeah, not buying it.

The one from before already taught her a very good lesson. And one thing about a hot man was that, "Do not trust them, except Liam"

The dark elf didn’t even glance at her.

His attention was fixed solely on Liam as he continued, “I came to make an offer.”

Liam heard this, a strange complexion flashed briefly, but then returned to calm.

“An offer?" Liam echoed back his words, eyes calm.

"With me?” Liam stood, movements deliberate and smooth as he gently set Mize back onto the throne behind him.

Mize wanted to refute at first, almost wanting to bite Liam's hand but he simply gave her a reprimanding glance and she muted down for a second.

Then, his posture relaxed, but his presence was anything but. “I’m curious now. What exactly are you proposing?”

His gaze narrowed, a sliver of interest flickering in his eyes.

Despite the eerie stillness, Liam sensed no killing intent from the man.

That was the strangest part that he wanted to uncover.

Be at the same time, if he wanted to play a foolish game, Liam was ready to turn into his other appearance and make it quick.

He also believed in a saying, not every enemy needed to be fought. At times, talk.

Especially being able to cover up his own killing intent, which either meant he wanted no beef or he wanted something else.

And with his experience, after having waded through the blood of countless lives, it was impossible to fake such a thing before him.

At Liam’s words, Mize gave a soft nod.

The ten Broken Blades lowered their glowing hands in sync, but their stance remained alert for anything suspicious.

The dark elf took the shift in atmosphere as permission and floated closer, step by slow step.

Liam didn’t move.

His body remained at ease, though inwardly primed for a fight at any moment.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, the dark elf stopped mid-air, and dropped to one knee.

His fist pressed against nothing but sky, head slightly bowed.

“I’ve come to offer myself as one of your heroes,” he declared. “My name is Saka... "

Mize's expression froze.

The surrounding ten true lords around them shared a silent glance.

Even though they stayed still, each of them cast a subtle look toward their creator.

Worried, confused, and obviously flabbergasted.

Mize’s reaction was all they needed to stand down, for now.

As for Liam, he was unreadable.

Too calm. Not a flicker of shock showed in his eyes, nor did the elf’s gesture seem to stir him.

And then, finally, Liam spoke, voice low, slow, and unnervingly precise.

“You…”

Saka lifted his gaze, meeting Liam’s head-on.

“You’re not a lord, are you?”

The question dropped like a thunderclap.

Mize’s jaw parted slightly, eyes wide, utterly unprepared for the words.

The dark elf chuckled softly.

Caught, but not rattled.

“As expected of one of the great old ones,” Saka said with a cryptic smile. “Your eye misses nothing. I am humbled.”

That was all Liam needed to hear.

It clicked.

With a glance over his shoulder, he checked Mize, who was still processing what had just happened, and turned back with an easy nod.

'She don't seems to understand, that's good'

“I accept,” he said coolly, walking back to the throne without a hint of hesitation. “From now on, you’re one of my generals.”

Mize looked like she’d just swallowed her own tongue.

Liam sat, as casual as ever, pulling her back onto his lap.

Before she could stop herself, she slapped his shoulder. “Liam! What are you doing? Why are you accepting random strangers all of a sudden?”

The dark elf, Saka, moved up beside the throne with silent elegance, settling into place on Liam’s left like a well-trained retainer.

His posture was perfect, and every time Mize’s eyes landed on him, he offered a polite smile.

The ten Blades returned to Mize’s side, flanking her.

She scowled, clearly unconvinced. Liam said nothing for a moment.

He looked thoughtful, lips still curled in a faint smile.

Then he lifted a hand and flicked her forehead with just enough force to make her flinch.

“It’s fine. Saka has already sold his soul to me. If he ever steps out of line, I can kill him in an instant.”

“Precisely, my lord,” Saka echoed, utterly unbothered by the lethal undertone in Liam’s words.

“But…” Mize started again, glaring daggers at Saka before letting out a breath and slumping a little. “D-Do whatever you want. But if this goes south, don’t come crying to me.”

"Don't complain to me that you made a bad decision!"

"Don't hug me if the territory suddenly got a maniacal killer with a pointy ear!"

"Don't try to seek my hel-"

Liam closed her mouth.

"Mhmmm!"

"Mhmmm!"

And yet Mize still kept on muttering her jabbering nonetheless.

“Yes, yes,” Liam chuckled, patting her head.

She turned her face away and puffed her cheeks, sulking in place on his right thigh like a grumpy cat.

After a period of time, she tilted her head.  ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovᴇlFɪre.nᴇt

Several glaring gazes to Saka on the side and she turned her head towards Liam.

"And what do you mean by him not being a lord?" She gave him a glance.

Liam simply looked back, and Saka humbly responded with a polite smile, "ah yes, I killed the lord that was supposed to come here today and took his place"

He smiled innocently.

Politely.

The tone of his voice was as casual as if he was going out for a sightseeing.

But that made Mize's frown deepened.

That meant, he can kill them too!

Danger alert!

If she had a tail right now, it would be pointing upward, like a wary cat.

Whatever...

But secretly, she had the ten broken blades keeping an eye on this 'Saka' person all the time. Any wrong move, immediate attack.

But what she didn't know, there was more happening behind the scenes between Saka and Liam. Especially when Saka mentioned of the title, one of the Great Old one.

She cursed under her breath.

After several more waves passed through the portal without incident, it became clear, no new lords had emerged.

Mize sat quietly, her thoughts turning.

A suspicion began to take root in her mind: the final wave was bound to be the most brutal.

As for the otherworldly lords, they would surely make their entrance then by the last 10 waves.

Perhaps a continuous one lord per one wave by then?!

Hiss!!

Mize sucked in a mouthful of cold breath.

But while she and Liam lingered atop the throne, her gaze would occasionally drift toward Saka, narrowing with obvious irritation.

She simply couldn't wrap her head around it.

How could Liam just accept a stranger so casually?

Was there something she was missing?

That whole "he sold his soul" excuse felt half-baked at best.

A convenient line Liam probably made up on the spot to keep her from asking too many questions.

She exhaled slowly, brushing the thought away. If it had to do with one of his deeper secrets, then maybe it was better not to prod too hard.

She naturally heard the strange term that Saka addressed Liam just now.

Sigh…

She shook her head and redirected her focus elsewhere, though not without sending another side-eyed glare at Saka.

Then, with a deliberate cough, she drew Liam’s attention.

“I’m going to create a tier 8 being.”

“Oh? So sudden?” Liam turned to her, one brow arching.

He gave Saka a passing glance before looking back at Mize. “Right now?”

“Yes,” she said flatly. Her tone was firm, and her glare sharp enough to cut steel, it was clear who that venom was aimed at.

Even the ten Broken Blades subtly shifted, following her lead as they cast quick, silent glances toward Saka.

Mize stood up without another word and stepped away from the throne, placing herself several meters off to the side.

She raised one hand, and the air itself rippled in response, molding and warping at her fingertips like clay beneath a sculptor’s palm.

Another wave.

This time, something sprouted into existence.

A strange tree emerged midair, roots anchoring into the very fabric of the “non-space” beneath it, as if physical law had been briefly rewritten to allow it.

Liam’s eyes gleamed, visibly intrigued.

It wasn’t often he got the chance to witness Mize’s creative process firsthand.

Even Saka, ever-composed, leaned slightly forward, curiosity peeking through his facade.

'Ooh? Divine proffesion?'

Before their eyes, the tree began to shift, twisting and folding in on itself like melting wax, shrinking down, compacting until the shape of a tall male figure formed in its place.

A deep green robe covered his body, and long strands of emerald hair flowed down his back.

His features were sharp, elegant, refined to the last detail. Fitting Mize's aesthetic requirements on every level.

Mize tapped her chin, her lips pressed together as she surveyed her work with a discerning eye.

Then, with a flick of her fingers, a glowing symbol etched itself into the center of the figure’s forehead.

Liam tilted his head slightly. “That mark?”

“For something very interesting… and very powerful,” Mize replied, her voice calm but with a sly smile curling at the edges.

She met Saka’s eyes for a split second, just long enough to flash him a glare that felt more feline than human.

Then she raised her hand once more.

A surge of force came crashing down upon the newly formed figure. The blast of creation energy lit up the sky like a explosion.

Half of her mental reserves vanished in a single instant.

She exhaled quietly, swiping an invisible bead of sweat from her temple.

And then it began.

Boom!

A pulse of invisible pressure spread from the figure’s body, washing over the area in all directions.

The air itself thickened, everyone's clothing ruffled under the weight of the unnatural aura suddenly taking form.

Mize moved again.

This time, a stream of pure energy wafted from her fingertips, slipping into the motionless body.

Slowly, the figure twitched, then stirred, before his eyes snapped open.

An instant later, his power burst outward like a glacier plunging into the sea.

Boom!

Even the Broken Blades raised their arms to shield themselves, bracing against the brunt of the sudden impact.

But with a simple motion, one finger lifted, Mize dispersed the pressure like it was nothing more than a breeze.

The new figure glanced around, taking in his surroundings with a calm but powerful gaze.

Once Mize's figure was registered in his view.

He dropped to one knee, placing a fist over his heart as he bowed deeply.

“This humble one greets the Creator.”

“Lord,” Mize corrected with a smirk. “Call me Lord.”

The figure nodded without hesitation. “This humble one greets the Lord.”

“Good.” She bobbed her head with satisfaction, then turned with barely restrained smugness toward Liam. “Look. Tier 8.”

“Yes. I see.” Liam’s expression didn’t change, but his voice betrayed just the slightest note of admiration.

Because truth be told, even for him, watching her casually summon such a powerful being out of thin air was more than a little impressive.

At the same time, Mize secretly installed a hidden order inside the newly created powerhouse mind.

'You see that guy on the side? If he does something bad, kill him'