NOVEL NEXT Chapter 229: Another Scheme
In the shadowy realm, deep within the hidden sanctuary of the Asura race, the overseers watched the events unfolding on Earth.
The air around them crackled with tension, their ethereal forms hovering silently as they observed Lyerin and Yasira.
There was an unmistakable air of disbelief, shock, and suspicion.
The Overseer, a being of great power and age, narrowed his glowing eyes as he heard Lyerin openly divulging his tribe's weakness to Yasira.
"Why would he reveal such information?" the Overseer murmured, his voice like the hiss of wind through a dead forest.
"The immortality of the Minotaur was our greatest fear. If Lyerin, a mere human, has bound the Stonehooves Tribe's spirit, then how could he be so careless?"
A flicker of movement came from another shadowy figure, who stepped forward from the darkness.
"It seems the immortality of his tribe is limited, Overseer. The Minotaur's invincibility does not extend to the entire tribe and only that beast was the immortal one and the rest of Lyerin's tribe... they aren't truly immortal. He just admitted it."
There was a pause, then a ripple of disbelief surged through the gathering.
"But why?" one of the shadowy beings asked, its voice laced with confusion.
"Why would he reveal this to Yasira? To anyone? Does he not understand the consequences? You mobilized our most talented younger generation, believing the Stonehooves to be an unstoppable force... If they are not truly immortal, then why are you all expanding such efforts who was not really a threat?"
The Overseer's eyes blazed with fury, as if this revelation had bruised his pride. "Has our effort been wasted? Have we overestimated the threat of this human and his pathetic tribe?"
One of the beings, taller and darker than the rest, sneered.
"Humans... Are they all madmen? What kind of fool reveals the weakness of his people so freely? There's no strategy in that—unless he's playing some deeper game."
The Overseer, whose shadowy form rippled with barely controlled anger, snapped, "A deeper game? He is a fool! There is no strategy here. He is afraid—afraid of being turned to dust. Lyerin knows if he truly poses a threat to the Asura race, both he and his entire tribe would be subjected to annihilation."
But another being, cloaked in the dense shadows of the outer circle, interrupted. Its voice was calm, but laced with dark amusement.
"Don't lie to yourself, Overseer. You think he's afraid? No, that human isn't scared. He's toying with you. You saw he he played the other Absorbed Worlds creatures and representatives and ended them easily, how can he be afraid?"
The Overseer's form stiffened as he turned toward the voice. "What do you mean?"
"He is not scared. He's provoking us, daring us to act. Lyerin didn't reveal his weakness out of fear—he's trying to make it a challenge. He's a madman, yes, but remember, he is a calculated one too.
"Maybe they want all the Asura to know how to defeat him, not because he's afraid of dying, but because he wants to bring the Asura race down with him."
The Overseer scoffed, his form flickering with disdain. "You believe that foolish human has any hope of defeating us? A single tribe with limited immortality cannot challenge the might of the Asura race."
The shadowy figure that had spoken remained silent for a moment, letting the weight of his words hang in the air.
"He knows he can't do it alone. But Lyerin isn't just fighting for himself. He's trying to force a confrontation, maybe to drag you all into a conflict where he can expose our vulnerabilities. If you and your Asura race keep underestimating him, he'll find a way to exploit that."
Another figure stepped forward, its form wavering slightly as it spoke.
"But... is he truly telling the truth? Could it be another one of his tricks? After all, he's not just some mindless brute. Lyerin has manipulated many in the survival world into thinking he is weaker than he appears. What if this is another layer of deception?"
The Overseer's anger dimmed slightly as he considered this. "A lie? He would dare lie to us even now?"
The voice in the darkness continued.
"If he were truly desperate, wouldn't he try to hide his tribe's weakness instead of announcing it so brazenly? What if this is a trap? A way to lure us into thinking we've found a vulnerability, only to discover it was never real in the first place?"
The Overseer's scorn deepened. "You give him too much credit. Lyerin is impulsive, reckless, and drunk on his own delusions of grandeur. He's not capable of such subtlety."
"But what if he is?" the shadowy figure pressed. "What if this is all part of his plan? We've already mobilized our most talented younger generation against him. What if we've walked right into his game?"
The other beings began to murmur, doubt seeping into their voices.
They had witnessed Lyerin's cunning firsthand.
They had seen how he manipulated the others beside his Stonehooves Tribe, how he had used the survival game to gain influence.
Could it be that they had underestimated him yet again?
The Overseer's form flickered with indecision, the fury that had once filled him now tempered with a growing sense of unease.
"Even if it is a trap, we cannot allow him to go unchecked. If his tribe is truly not immortal, then we can crush them easily. But if he has some hidden agenda..."
Another shadowy being, one who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"There is only one way to be sure. We must test his claims. If he truly possesses the means to challenge the Asura race, then we will know soon enough."
"And how do you propose we do that?" the Overseer asked, his tone skeptical.
The being's eyes gleamed in the darkness.
"You and your Asura race must provoke him. Push him to his limits. If he's lying, he will crack under the pressure. But if he's telling the truth, we will know, and we will destroy him before he has the chance to strike."
The Overseer considered this for a long moment. The idea of testing Lyerin, of forcing him to reveal his true hand, appealed to his sense of strategy.
"Very well," he said at last. "We will play his game. But we will not let him control the board."
The murmur of agreement spread through the shadowy realm, and the Overseer's eyes narrowed as he focused once more on the image of Lyerin on Earth.
"You may think you've outsmarted us, human," he muttered darkly. "But you will learn that the Asura race does not fall so easily."
The beings shifted, their forms twisting and blending into the shadows as they prepared to act.
But even as they moved, a lingering doubt remained—had Lyerin truly revealed his weakness out of fear, or was it all part of his plan to bring them down?
And in the midst of that doubt, the seeds of their next move began to take root.
As the Overseer watched the scene play out on Earth, his scornful gaze remained fixed on Lyerin, yet deep down, a flicker of uncertainty gnawed at the edges of his mind.
Was this human truly just a madman? Or had they all underestimated the true threat he posed?