Oh, The Misery //Solo Leveling// Sung Jin Woo x Antares

6: I am not Ashborn

"Explain yourself." 

Why! They really wished to shout back right now, but they knew better to keep their mouth shut than to actually tempt the Lord of Death because of a quick remark. "Your Highness, this lowly servant was only tasked with finding a fitting vessel for the Dragon Monarch."

The Monarch took one step closer, making the architect pick up their pace in talking very quickly as their head punched a crack through the ground. 

"Dear Highness, please forgive me but the work of this servant was needed by the Dragon Emperor. My Lord, as I have stated before, only so few people can become vessels for both the Rulers and the Monarchs due to the high concentration of mana from the spiritual forms. My aid reached only to the point that my skills let the body of the vessel adapt to the constant flow of mana in order to fit the spiritual body of a monarch. However, as fortunate as all of this has transpired, the coincidence of both Monarchs finding a perfect vessel, in the same place, was outside of my intervention." 

"I'm not talking about that. Explain to me why you didn't tell me you were working with the Destruction Monarch." 

"Ah..." The Monarch's gaze held their mouth shut, a fury appearing over the purple eyesight whose light moved between smoke. If it wasn't for the blackened armor then the architect was sure they would have seen violet flames ready to incinerate them on the spot.

"It was not my intent to hide anything from your highness. This servant simply was unaware that the news of The Destruction Monarch finding a suitable vessel had not yet reached your well known knowledge within your circle of communication...My Lord." Circle of communication my ass! He doesn't have anyone he communicates with! Every single word they said, every stutter in there was just to buy them time. But now they can't take those words back. Besides, both were unwilling to correct that sentence, no matter how obvious it was that the Monarch of Shadows preferred to not be in the company of the other Monarchs. 

"And why didn't you, at least, confirm if it was true?" 

"This servant doesn't dare pray into the business of the Shadow Monarch." 

The silence went on for what seemed like ages, years. The cosmos should have died by how long Ashborn held its silence. The architect was dying with every second passing. Now they should be no more than puddles on the ground, the architect had already started to accept its life as a bug, walking on all fours and never ever looking back up to the eyes of the Shadow Monarch.

"Look at me." 

The architect did. 

"Is there anything more I should be aware of?" 

The fear alone in death was almost enough to the Architect to spill out their entire family's history as well as their own. To a vicious being such as the Great Sage which searched for the root of immortal life, facing Death itself to the knees was more than just their greatest fear manifesting, it was as if they were about to truly die, and they couldn't accept it. Not yet. Never. 

However, Kandiaru had not just lived for 500 studying the art of life and gained nothing! There were so many things that they had to mature in order to realize their dream and become the top dog of the Tower. It gave them patience. It gave them resilience. Which is why they could stand up so front in the mere sight of a Monarch. 

"No. Your Majesty. If there comes an important message then My Lord will be the first that this lowly servant will contact." 

The mist of purple faded away, from the room, from the halls and its corridors, from the walls and its windows as the light of the moon phased back into existence. They say that nothing is darker than the night, but upon seeing the shadows of the Lord, Kandiaru would prove it all wrong in an instant.