Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1375 - 1374 - Small Man

Theron Frey hated his Clan. He kept such thoughts deeply hidden as the benefits were superior to any other he could dream of, but he felt they were too invested in non-human races. Humans were superior.

He knew that was true since humans tamed the wilds and made beasts bow to them in all worlds. They also ruled most of the supreme powers.

He never kowtowed to the sub-human races.

Yet, he struggled to even become a Sky Realm despite all the techniques, Arts, and resources offered freely in the Clan.

He refused to believe he had mediocre talent and was being suppressed by the jealous other races within the Clan as many humans struggled recently in the 2nd layer.

Theron was so sure of his point of view, he never bothered to try to confirm it and just assumed it was true. He also had blissfully ignorant assumptions on his lack of ability to find a woman to be with him and why most of his immediate family had abandoned him as the years passed.

He had worked hard, despite his lack of results, to rise up in the Department of Communications and Delegation.

He was put in charge of the relay station that dealt with the flow of communication between layers. It was not considered critical as usually it was simply about familial messages to expect an ascension or requests for resources as needed by allies.

Theron had felt proud when he achieved his goal of being important but it was a job no one really wanted but that several members had underestimated the chance for sabotage of alliances critical to the future of the Frey Clan.

Theron entered his office and dismissed his assistant as he reviewed the latest requests. Any human contact, or Frey Clan contact, was quickly approved or passed along but there was a backlog of requests only he authorized now.

They were the requests of allies to the Frey Clan and Theron sneered as his sandy hair was swept back as if he was a God to decide what was allowed or not for his inferiors.

Anything from the 1st layer was solely his discretion. Announcements of ascension he passed on as there was nothing to gain by stopping those. Ascension could not be hidden anyway.

Requests for resources he denied no matter how important they were. If they were not human, he did not care.

Rumblings of issues sometimes reached him but tracing issues back to him was nearly impossible as no one suspected Theron was denying requests at such a level.

He was, in fact, only able to deny requests in excess of guidelines or orders from his Clan but he felt he should help the Clan distance themselves from their inferiors.

Humans were the only race that mattered and he lived that truth to the limit.

The requests from higher layers required caution.

Even Theron, supremacist that he was, knew higher realm Immortals could not be ignored and swallowed his pride to relay some of their requests to not draw their ire upon him.

Still, he rejected most requests out of hand.

The 4th layer was his favorite. If they were from the Sovereign Lands he approved them regardless of origin. Only a complete idiot would dare defy the true leaders of the Immortal Realm.

The Hollow Lands and Thrones had little to no contacts with the Frey Clan so he never bothered unless a report came in of attempts to ally with beasts, demons, or Elementals. He quickly quashed those.

Before he joined the office, however, the Under Lands had made official contact via aether beasts of the Immortal Realm. Theron had learned enough about how the Under Lands were viewed to sneer at any request from them unless it was for a human power.

Even then, most requests were useless given the state of the Under Lands.

Theron had actually done considerable work to gain knowledge far beyond the 2nd layer. He gleefully took that pile of jade slips and rapidly rejected them.

The requests had begun to drop off and he hoped the feral beasts would soon get the message that the Frey Clan did not care one whit about them.

He was happily denying one request after another when a jade slip shimmered as it touched his hand.

He frowned as he had never seen that reaction before. What had caused it? He was about to sink his aura into it when a forced exploded from the jade slip and covered the entirety of the complex with ease.

[I am Lind Frey. Come to me, now.] Theron paled as the Founder appeared in a projection but it was not a message, but a live communication. The emerald eyed man loomed over him and Theron felt his blood slow down just seeing him.

Space tore open and Theron was left slack jawed as the elders and current Clan Head of the 2nd layer knelt to the projection.

"Founder, we have come." They all knew the aura of the Founder and it could not be faked so easily as emerald harmonic Qi activated to confirm it was him in the Clan Hall.

[I would like an explanation for why you are betraying our allies. I want it now.] Confusion bloomed on the human and demon faces kneeling but Theron felt his leg grow damp suddenly.

Surely things could not have drawn the Founder's ire.

"Founder, we do not–" Aura slammed outward and all realized the projection was far more powerful than they could believe.

[Beasts, demons, aether children, Elementals, and Celestials have been denied requests! I have all the information here!] A tear opened and a jade slip appeared to the shock of all.

Lind Frey could reach them in the 2nd layer?! It had to have a limit but the Clan Head, a demon, took the slip and quickly examined it. He quickly looked pale as he passed it to the elders and they all shivered as Lind's anger was clear.

[Well?] His voice caused them all to flinch and Theron wanted to escape but he was trapped by the elders from his exit! He knew, even with his delusions of grandeur, that his life was on the chopping block!

"Founder, we know nothing of these issues. None of the reports came to us about denials of requests from the other layers at all." The emerald eyes locked onto Theron like they were daggers.

He felt a pressure on his mind and there was no chance to resist before the truth was pulled from him.

[I see. It seems arrogance and tunnel vision has blinded you all. This fool has decided humans were superior to all and has been carefully distancing our Clan from our allies. I am displeased.] All the Immortal auras nearly liquified Theron where he stood.

"What have you done, you fool?!" A human with violet eyes and a slim body stood up in anger but the projection held up his hand.

[Normally, I would leave this in your hands, but considering the severity, I will deal with it.] All were confused as while it was feasible for a jade slip to be sent, aside from the pressure to cause a reaction, what could Lind Frey do from wherever he was?

Theron was sweating buckets.

"L–l–lord Founder, I am simply asserting our superiority–" Theron was slammed into the far wall of his office. The ornate inscriptions flared but only to reinforce the dark wooden wall from damage.

Shock was not only on Theron's face but the elders. How was Lind Frey doing that?!

Only the demon narrowed his crimson eyes as he looked around. It seemed the Founder had planned ahead as formations and weavings reacted his aura to allow such an attack.

A small smile crossed his lavender face but he quickly focused.

[Your view is small. You view the world as only you wish to see it and not as it is. You have wondered why you are stuck, I am sure but never thought to understand the bestial bloodline you have ignored inside you.] Theron grew crimson at that mention.

"I AM HUMAN! I am not a filthy beast!" The words made all the elders and the Clan Head frown deeply. While it was impossible to avoid people feeling like pure blood was the only way, it was clear that Theron was long since lost.

[Human? Humans are mongrels. Demons are mongrels. The only pure beings are aether children, Elementals, and Celestials. Even manifested beasts are mixed by the context of where they appeared.] Lind was lecturing but Theron was shaking his head.

"NO! Humans are superior! I am not a beast!" Lind looked at him and his projection shifted as scales appeared. A tail snaked out and his emerald hair grew longer.

[I am the Founder, a dragon. Regardless of my origin, that is who I am. I embraced my path and have become a Sovereign Tier.] Smiles spread at that news. Their Founder was at the peak of the Immortal Realm!

"NO! LIES! You are human! You were born human and stole the power of those filthy beasts for us!" Lind frowned deeply before he sighed and looked at the Clan Head.

[I am sorry. I will do this myself.] The Clan Head paled but bowed.

Theron tried to move but the reptilian emerald eyes looked down at him.

[For what you have done and what you planned to do, there is only one punishment.] Theron tried harder to escape but then his Sky Core shattered! His cultivation was destroyed!

His body became so heavy and he aged rapidly until his hair fell out and wrinkles covered his face.

He wanted to scream but his throat was so dry!

Why?! Why did it happen?!

He tried to figure it out, but his aged brain was decaying rapidly. The last thing his blurry vision made out was the Clan Head bowing low to the Founder and darkness closed in.

Theron Frey died later that day and none came to his funeral.