*Waah*, *Waah*, *Waah*

The cry of a newborn was heard blasting across an impossibly luxurious room, a room so vast that it was breathtaking. 

Its wide powerful walls were created from the highest quality of mystical stones and there were impossibly complex and intricate runes drawn on them, which were pulsing with mysterious, radiant energy.

It was a room that seemed to belong to the palace of the heavenly emperor.

But currently, this room was clouded by a gloomy shade of grief and sadness, emanating from a regal woman of ethereal beauty and outstanding proportions, as she looked down on the boy she was swaddling, her eyes meeting his, her rosy cheeks puffed up and swollen, like she was crying.

“My lady, the elders have spoken. And His Majesty has agreed.” 

Standing opposite her, only a few steps away, was a tall, handsome man with long, wavy white hair, wearing a magnificent blue and white robe with intricate runes drawn on it.

His azure eyes were slitted and sharp like an eagle gazing down on its prey and they glowed with immense surges of power,

“I…I understand Grand Iudex!”

Hearing that courteous yet cold voice, the blonde woman's body visibly shook 

But she knew her only option was to nod and accept.

Although she had tried her hardest to fight it, the fate that had been read for her son on his first day proved to be too damning.

She had lost.

*Drip*, *Drip*, *Drip*.

Warm dollops of painful tears thus began to rain on the small boy’s fluffy cheeks, causing the infant to surprisingly stop crying, and open his bright green eyes to gaze back at a pair identical to his.

“*Hehe*, *Tee hee*, Hehe*” And as if he understood his mother was in pain, the innocent infant suddenly began to giggle, waving his tiny, soft arms around in a seeming effort to console the wounded matron and cheer her up.

It was an act that could be said to be the crystallization of the word everything that was good and pure under the sky.

But now, that very act seemed to cause endless pain to the woman.

“Wuhhhuu, wuhhuuu, I'm sorry my child, whuuuhhh, mother is useless…..wuhhuuu…mother is useless and could not protect you, wuhhhuu….my dear Valeras” 

Looking at the happy, innocent face, oblivious of his fate, the woman felt her heart burst, and she could no longer maintain herself as she snuggled her child against her cheeks showering him with loving kisses and melancholic tears.

The boy would likely die soon.

*Woosh* The man watching this did not flinch even an eyelid and tired of waiting, this grand Iudex summoned a large suction force which pulled the little child towards him in one swift motion.

 As for the mother having her child torn away from her broke into even louder wails.

"Mother is useless… she could not protect you. *Sob*, *sob*."

Interestingly, she did not seem to ask for her son’s forgiveness but only lamented her powerlessness.

While the Iudex, having obtained his prize gave a simple bow to the bawling women before wordlessly turning on his heel and excusing himself.

He walked, or more like almost teleported towards his destination, such was his power, covering vast distances with each step until he finally arrived at his destination- a huge open altar with a large circular stoned ring.

“The teleportation gate is almost ready, Your Lordship! We are just fixing onto the center of the ocean.” 

There, a short-haired woman with turquoise hair deeply bowed as she sounded very sorry for the tardiness.

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The Iudex only curtly nodded to her, his eyes suddenly more focused on the blonde, handsome young man who was standing by the altar.

This was a surprise.

And upon feeling the Iudex’s gaze land on him, the man, dressed in fitting silver armor etched with fantastic golden runes slowly moved towards to greet him.

 The leisurely pace and body language made it apparent that his status was, if not equal, at least comparable to the Grand Iudex.

“Rhegnight, you are back.” The Iudex uttered these words in as placid a tone as possible like he was simply stating an observation.

“Yes! But with no luck. The rumor that a Level 8 Spell Module had appeared was only that, a rumor. *Tsk*, what a waste of time.” The man sounded a bit peeved that he had made that wasted journey, his lips curling up in displeasure.

“That is to be expected. If Level 8 Modules were so common then just by possessing two of them Profound Architect Sanctuary would not have been able to so easily claim the title of the strongest Exalted Realm."

“That’s why we must always keep an eye out for any news of an attacking type spell module. Even if it means investigating every small possibility.”    

The Iudex that had been so stoic till now suddenly turned very talkative at the mention of the precious spell module.

Though the enthusiasm was not shared by his counterpart, so quickly changed topic,

“Anyway, I came here so quickly because I heard quite some interesting things along the way.”

“Is this the cursed child everyone is talking about?” 

He then curiously craned his head downward to have a better look at the infant, his fingers nuzzling against Valeras’s belly, tickling him and causing the infant to chortle.

“Did you really utter those words? Everyone I met seemed half surprised and half stunned that you of all people would say something so disquieting,” Rhegnight then seriously turned to ask, his blood-red eyes sharp and serious.

At the inquiry, the Iudex slightly lowered his head to gaze at the boy who was looking around curiously, his huge, limpid eyes full of life, “When I tried to read the boy's fate, I did not see anything.” 

“Usually, I would see stars and light, all glowing and simmering with various intensity, crisscrossing and melting together to form pools of patterns which I would then discern.”

“But there, I saw nothing, only pitch-black darkness!” 

The ludex suddenly paused at this point, and for the first time, the pitch of his tone changed, going from cold to slightly fearful. 

“I only felt. I only felt an all-consuming hunger.”

“It was a maddening feeling… I felt like I was inside the belly of a ravenous beast… No, like I was the belly of the ravenous beast.”

“All I wanted to do was eat,  eat and eat… till the stars and even the light itself was consumed.” 

Rhegnight would have never believed it if he had not seen it for himself, he was sure he saw the Iudex slightly shiver as he finished.

And the shock was such that he even suspected for half a second that his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Other than the hidden fogies living in seclusion, the people who would be able to best this man in this whole world could be counted on one’s hand.

And even that would be just beating him.

Killing him was a whole other matter entirely.

But looking at the man’s reaction, it seemed that he was fearful for his life.

‘Just what can cause you to feel fear?’ Rhegnight wanted to blurt out, but his thumping heart ultimately stopped him, seemingly afraid of the answer.

“Who would think this little guy would be so dangerous?” Instead, he only muttered so, turning to look down again on Valeras, but by now his eyes had lost all their mirthfulness- replaced with only cold caution and sharp hostility.

The Iudex before him was unanimously known as the greatest living clairvoyant.

So if he said the boy was dangerous, he indeed was dangerous.

Rhegnight would place far greater trust in the Iudex’s words than even his own.

 As his face hardened upon learning of the details, the Iudex further added to the grim specifics, 

“Those words that people heard me say… I do not think I said those.” 

“It was more like the heavens were speaking through me: 

“He is the Scrounge!”

“The Usher of Doom!”

“He will destroy You All!”

 “Note I said ‘you’ and not ‘us’,” The Iudex pointed to the last two words of the prophecy. 

And now that he mentioned it, Rhegnight did find it strange, as he commented, 

“When I first heard it, I thought you were addressing the people present there.”

“But now…. If what you said is true…” The silver-armored man sounded frowned, sounding afraid, 

“Did you tell anyone else of your suspicion?” He then pointedly asked.

This was a very important piece of information.

“Yes, to His Majesty.” The Grand Iudex heavily nodded. “Only after hearing that did he agree to this. Otherwise…” 

It was clear the king had initially expressed reluctance over what was proposed to be done to his child.

“And what about Master Artificer Parntheos?” But Rhegnight seemed more concerned about the opinion of that man.

And at the mention of that name, the Iudex drew a slight frown, like he was reminded of an irritating problem.