My next attempt at the Seed of Eternal Truth went just like the last one.

I then felt a ripple in the fabric of the realm. I sprinted over so fast that planets parted before I was even near them.

I was there within the time it took for a level 65 to snap their finger.

A mage-elf in the Sasomac Empire had broken through to level 75.

I knew that the Sasomac Empire had no elves. They were annoyingly good at archery, rarely taller than three feet, and were born with a mana compression factor of 2.

The elf spoke to me in a perfect Sasomac Empire accent. If the elf was a spy, it must have been very good at faking accents. What was weirder was that I knew that this elf hadn't been gold-section before.

The elf was bald, with large, droppy, ears. It had a mouth like a vampire, a long, pointed nose, and green eyeballs. It was wearing some sort of rag.

A dish towel?

That was odd.

It spoke with a crotchety young voice.

"I am an ambassador of the Kalmana Empire. We are a level 78 Empire. The Empire that you have been sensing with your spiritual sense is not Cancall, but Kalmana. Kalmana has been hiding from all four major Empires for eons. You are towards the north of the Arf Wastes."

It was good to have my location confirmed as part of those wastes, but Kalmana came as a shock. It wasn't Cancall, but Kalmana that had been conquering territories?

"Yes, our strongest noble has conquered an area north of you. You don't need to stop conquering there."

"Who are you?"

"I am the second-in command of the Kalmana empire, Halber Calman."

"Why are you in mere rags?"

"I accidentally grazed a star while flying, which burned up my clothes."

"I would like to meet with your Emperor."

A plan was already forming in my head. Life wasn't a friendly game. I'd have to eek out any advantage I could get, no matter how scummy it was.

"Certainly."

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

The elf took off towards the northwest.

I followed. The planet that us two were on, a level 15 failed agricultural planet in my territory, which no one was on, was annihilated, but it hardly mattered.

Within a minute, we were at the capital of Kalmana. The elf requested a private audience for me with the Emperor, which was scheduled for 2:30 PM the next day. In the meanwhile, I was treated as a royal guest.

I took that opportunity to scout that empire.

They had 8 level 70 royals, who each commanded a kingdom, with 16 provinces, each ruled by a level 65 noble.

The royals were commanded by the elf, who was commanded by the Emperor. I had got 26 nobles from Kalmana to join the Sasomac Empire. These nobles were properly powerful. In 15000 years, I would set up a tournament. The ten winners would become nobles, and yes, nobles could lose their spot.

The rest would jon in due time. I had found out that the audience would be held in a large level 65 room, made of pure arcanite, with gold plating. I would be in a chair, with the emperor in a throne in front of me, and somewhat above me. It would have guards at all exits. Weapons were not allowed in the room.

After what felt like a year, the audience was held. I tried not to feel guilty, because it was my survival or his.

My hammer was stowed away with my Truth when I came in. As soon as I heard the final click of the door locking (I knew it would be unopenable for two hours), all hell broke loose.

I summoned my hammer, as I shot forward faster than a bullet, and summoned my hammer. I grabbed the other emperor's neck. "What..." he choked "The... fucking...hell... is this!"

He shot away, invisible.

I swung my hammer, but I was too late. I fell down, clutching my back. Blood pooled on the ground. The emperor loomed over me.

I forced the wound together. It felt like the knife had stabbed into my soul, but I'd deal with that later. Luckily, at diamond-section, it was possible to use skills with broken pathways, though at 1000% of the cost.

I knew the drill. I kicked the door as hard as possible.

It blasted open, flying all the way to what was probably Holthar, though it was outside my range of spiritual sense.

Guards rushed in like policemen at the scene of a murder.

I brought my hammer down, blasting a hole through the planet. I teleported onto the other emperor, but the other empire turned intangible, and got in front of me. He spoke. "So. You've attacked me for no reason. You shall die."

I noticed his weapon for the first time. It was a dagger, the size of a butter knife. It had a sleek black handle, and a blade shining an unsettling shade of silver. I realized what it was.

Greatite.

Dammit, I thought. I really should have upgraded my hammer to Greatite.

He swung at me with an elaborate technique, yet the blade gew longer. The extension was blue, like pure mana.

Dammit.

I dodged at the last second, striking back with my hammer. I only grazed the emperor, but our fight had turned the planet that was previously a giant metropolis into a desolate waste.

The emperor had reeled at my hit, allowing me to get one full-on hit in before the emperor vanished into a shadow.

I stood, highly tense. Out of that same shadow, the emperor emerged. I decided to use strategy sentiment.

I slammed my hammer into the planet at full force, destroying it.

Us two stood in space.

What an idiot I was.

Fighting a rogue in space.

I jumped into the star. Yes, into the star. I was in a very random spot, where I probably wouldn't be found. Just to be sure, I teleported out and threw a few planets at the rogue. I teleported back to that spot. Now finding me would be finding a needle in a haystack.

I threw a small portion of the star at him.

Now, it was time to start pulling his strings.

I went into essence mode.