Hellbourne frowned deeply. He had lost contact with Naiki.
"How?"
This was the first question on his mind. It should be impossible for any creature to have overcome the grip of his control over Naiki. There was almost no way the connection he had with the demonic beast could be overcome so simply.
"It's not so simple. Could it be that the location where the Order has been hidden is special?" He thought out loud. Gradually, he sat up in his throne and stood up. The sight alarmed the servants in the throne room, but none of them dared to move.
Hellbourne walked out of the throne room of his palace and through the large, imposing halls that were devoid of life, yet had an incredibly beautiful and tasteful décor. He ignored everything like it was not there, and made his way to a large, round room.
Shelves lined the walls as the room stretched upwards, and there were stairs that led to the higher levels of this grand library. There was an untold number of books that would be of immense value to any empire. After all, the Demon King had lived a very long time. No one knew how old he truly was. He had a wealth of knowledge that was just waiting to be tapped into.
Hellbourne looked at the high top of the grand library. The spatial magic that had been inlaid into the walls of the room made it so that the internal space far exceeded what was normal. With a blink of his eye, he appeared at the top of the room.
The top level was home to the most valuable books that Hellbourne had collected over the many years. Not only books, but many other valuable items were stored inside chests and other magical storage boxes and kept at this place.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIn the center of the room, a floating platform rested. It held a large item that looked like a stargazing telescope from Earth. Hellbourne floated over to it with a blank look on his face.
This item was called the Heart Seeker. It was an item that Hellbourne had gotten his hands on many centuries ago, while killing all his rivals that also knew of it. It was powerful, if used in the right way.
With this item, Hellbourne knew the secrets of many powerful empires and kingdoms. It could find anything across the world, granted that thing was below a certain level. That level was quite clear. Anything that was below the Divine.
He arrived before it and ran his fingers along its body with a sigh.
"My old companion. It has been a while." He whispered.
[Indeed, it has been a while, Hellbourne. Did you come to search for someone again?] A soft, androgynous voice whispered in Hellbourne's mind.
"Yes, my old friend. But for a different reason this time." Hellbourne answered.
[I see... Tell me what it is you seek, and I shall find for you. You know the rules.]
Hellbourne nodded and stepped closer. He held onto the scope of the item and bent down to look. In his eyes, stars flashed by and the Heart Seeker's gaze traveled through the world. His mind guided its search and turned it back to the Demon Continent, trying to lock onto the individual he was searching for.
[Hellbourne!]
The Heart Seeker warned and disconnected itself from him before any harm could be done onto either of them.
"What... happened?" He asked, shocked and a bit dazed. His eyes were wide, as if he had been tossed into the abyss and drawn back.
[We touched onto something nearly Divine. I pulled us back before it could notice us.] The Heart Seeker's voice was lighter than before.
"Before it could notice us?" Hellbourne was confused. "The one I seek is nothing near the Divine. It is a subordinate that I sent out to search for something." He said.
[Well, that subordinate has become a part of the greater whole of something that borders the Divine. You cannot search for it anymore.] The Heart Seeker told Hellbourne.
"I see..." Hellbourne fell into thought. Had something happened in the resting place of the Nameless Order? How did Naika become a part of the Nameless Order. Had he roused the Order and failed to get away before being absorbed into it?
"Can you tell me the location that the person I searched for was, at least?" He asked.
[The one you sought is in the southwest of the Demon... No. It moved. It is to the North of the Demon Continent. It is on the Central Continent. I cannot give you an accurate location, but I can at least point out where I feel it lingering.] The Heart Seeker said.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"That is fine." Hellbourne nodded.
As soon as he gave his approval, a wave of power rippled across the surface of the Heart Seeker. An image was projected above it. It was an accurate map of the entire world.
[The one you were searching for moved from here-] The Heart Seeker highlighted a section of the map that was in one of the far reached of the Demon Continent. [-to here.] It then lit up another portion of the map.
Hellbourne's eyes widened when he saw the location that Naika had been moved to. It was the Desolate Lands!
How had Naiki moved from the Demon Continent to the Desolate Lands in mere moments?! Unless an incredibly powerful mage or teleportation formation had facilitated this travel, it was just not possible!
Unless... it was a working of the Divine.
Hellbourne frowned.
The only way something would have moved so quickly without setting off an alarm was if it was something so powerful that no one else would be able to notice. It would be too powerful for them to even register.
The only other way was if someone had gotten to the Nameless Order first, or had encountered Naiki there, and then dealt with him.
'Someone else has been after the Nameless Order!' Hellbourne realized with a pensive expression.
Now, he had to think, was this person friend or foe? What were they up to? Was it a God's Envoy? Their Incarnation? Or another ambitious powerhouse like himself?