The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1125 Astros Empire

Somewhere in an unknown cave.

A man dressed in a black robe slowly rose from the ground. He clutched his head as a powerful energy surged through his body.

He was Esquin Georagnisus—the man known as the Ruler of Gluttony.

"That Grid is truly powerful. A complete manipulation capable of killing and erasing the will of every living being... It can even destroy the very concepts within its range."

Esquin shook his body, and a shadow enveloped him. When the darkness faded, all the wounds on his body had vanished.

The Titan God's will had been reduced to nothingness. If even a god could be affected by this, then elemental lifeforms—those without physical bodies—would surely be annihilated as well. These beings were immune to conventional physical damage, such as the destruction of hearts or brains, but the Grid affected more than just the physical. It reached into the realm of concepts themselves. If concepts could be erased, then no form of life could truly resist its power.

Then, all the energy would be converted into a flower—one that blooms into an avatar with a certain level of power. Even if, by some miracle, someone managed to preserve their consciousness within its range, they would still need to shield their own energy from blossoming into a flower. No mortal could survive such a phenomenon. Even among the gods, only a few possess the capability to endure such a calamity.

"I'm convinced now why they had to seal that Grid. It's extremely dangerous."

Esquin stretched his body. He narrowed his eyes, contemplating the next step of his plan.

"Olympus is already set in stone. I've done what I needed to do. It's time for the next phase."

Turning his head, he muttered,

"To the Land of Aaru..."

Thud!!

The sound of a footstep echoed.

Esquin turned his head and saw a figure approaching.

He asked, "How is it, Dreyfus?"

The man was tall, with long black hair. An eyepatch covered one eye, and he wore garments made of fox fur.

Dreyfus bowed slightly before responding, "My Lord, everything is prepared. It only awaits your final touch."

...

Meanwhile, on a certain planet...

In a bustling city, people chatted cheerfully. Then, without warning, they paused—eyes lifting skyward as a massive shadow fell across the entire city.

A child dropped her toy.

A man halted mid-shout.

Silence.

Above them, a colossal structure emerged, hovering miles above the ground. It was awe-inspiring—unlike anything they had ever seen. There was no record of such a thing in their history. Not even in legend.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

It was the Guardian Fortress.

Eztein looked down at the masses below and said, "We've successfully teleported."

This was one of the planets under the rule of Goddess Athena.

"We're still a long way from our destination," Souta said. He then glanced at Torkez and added, "Initiate the jump."

Torkez nodded. "The spatial structure here is different. We can jump without draining much of the fortress's energy reserves."

Moments later, the engine roared to life, and a wave of energy pulsed through the fortress.

Ohm!!

On the surface, the people watched as a dim blue light began to glow, intensifying with each passing second. Then, space itself started to distort—folding in on itself—before a massive wave of energy erupted outward.

The colossal structure vanished as if it had never been there.

Some people rubbed their eyes, unsure whether they had just woken from a dream.

Yet the entire city had witnessed it—every soul beneath the sky had seen it happen.

The Guardian Fortress had reappeared in a different location.

It was now far from the Imperium, moving steadily toward the Astros Empire.

Souta made sure to inform Jamine that they were on their way.

He was, in truth, worried.

The military strength of the Astros Empire was nothing compared to that of the Council of High Worlds. In Souta's mind, the Astros were like a speck of dust beside a towering giant.

Inside the fortress, Souta sat calmly in his seat, eyes closed.

A voice interrupted the silence beside him.

"What are you thinking about?"

He recognized the voice—it was Alice.

He shook his head slowly.

"Nothing... I'm just trying to rest."

"That's good. Taking a rest once in a while isn't a bad thing," Alice said with a gentle smile as she sat beside him.

"Yeah..." Souta replied with a faint smile of his own.

Alice glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze outward, toward the vast darkness of space.

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

The Guardian Fortress made several successful jumps and soon arrived near Planet Astley. The journey had been smooth—they hadn't encountered a single obstacle.

Before long, the planet loomed into view.

Souta stood from his seat, eyes fixed on the familiar world ahead.

"Oh, we're finally here again..." Franklin murmured, raising his eyebrows.

"It's been a while since then," Torkez added, narrowing his eyes as memories of their battle against the Great Astley Empire came flooding back.

Back then, to him, the Great Astley Empire had seemed as immovable as a mountain.

His resistance had been meaningless in the face of their power.

"So here we are..." Eztein said as he stepped forward, eyes fixed on the planet before them.

Souta spoke up, his tone calm but firm.

"Torkez, don't let the fortress get too close to the planet. I don't want them discovering us just yet."

"I understand," Torkez replied with a nod.

"I'll go," Souta continued. "Amanda, Franklin—come with me."

Both Amanda and Franklin nodded in acknowledgment.

...

Planet Astley – Palace of the Astros Empire

A vast circular hall, crowned with a high domed ceiling, echoed with the voices of many.

At the center stood a striking woman with long blonde hair. Her demeanor was cold and unyielding, yet her actions carried a subtle gentleness.

She was Jamine Fleu Rendxynuz, the Representative of the Astros Empire.

A middle-aged man stepped forward and declared, "We can't fight them. The only way to save our people is to give them what they want."

Jamine turned to him, her gaze steady.

"We can't give up."

Suddenly, a woman with long, curly hair stood up abruptly.

"Give up? Who says we're giving up? We're going to compromise. That will stop the war!"

"You want us to cooperate with them? You want our empire to become their vassal and follow their rule? Do you even understand who they are?" Jamine said firmly, her voice echoing through the hall.

"This can't go on! Countless lives will be sacrificed if we continue down this path!" another man protested.

Jamine turned to face him, her expression unwavering.

"Is that why you surrendered your country so quickly to the Great Astley Empire? You let your people become slaves."

"You—!" The man's face darkened, his brow furrowing in anger.

The Astros Empire was deeply divided.

On one side stood Jamine, resolute in her refusal to submit. On the other were those who favored cooperation—hoping to survive by bowing to the enemy.

Day by day, week by week, more and more of her supporters began to defect to the other side. Her refusal to yield hadn't produced any significant victories. The powerful enemies they faced were simply too advanced. Even Lydia, despite her strength, had been overwhelmed.

Still, Jamine held her ground.

They had begun to see resistance as hopeless.

In the end, they're all still cowards, Jamine thought bitterly. Becoming slaves has been etched into their minds after enduring the tyranny of the Great Astley Empire.

This hall was filled with individuals of influence and authority—yet now, to her, it seemed that only a few truly loathed the idea of living under a tyrant's rule.

"We have to compromise!"

"Our people will only keep dying!"

The voices rose, a storm of fear and resignation swelling in the chamber.

Suddenly—

Bang!

The door slammed open, the sound cutting through the noise like a blade.

Everyone turned their heads at once.

Three figures stepped into the hall.

It was Souta, accompanied by Amanda and Franklin.

"Hmm... So this is what the empire has become," Souta muttered as he walked forward, his voice calm but laced with disappointment. Amanda and Franklin followed closely behind, silent and alert.

Jamine stared at him, eyes wide in shock.

His appearance had changed since the last time they met—his aura heavier, his presence sharper—but his facial features were unmistakable.

Around the hall, the higher-ups of the Astros Empire turned their eyes toward the newcomers. Some of them recognized Souta, memories of the past surfacing like ghosts. Others simply looked on in confusion, unsure who he was but sensing the pressure in the air.

Souta met Jamine's gaze and offered a faint smile. Then, his eyes swept over the rest of the room, cold and steady.

"I guess there would come a time when I'd be looking down on all of you," Souta said, casting a brief glance over the room.

A man abruptly stood and pointed at him.

"You rude bastard! Mind your ma—"

Boom.

His voice was cut short as his head exploded into a spray of blood and mist.

Franklin lowered his hand, having only flicked a finger. He then raised it to his lips and calmly said,

"Shh. Our boss is talking, so please keep quiet."

The room fell into stunned silence.

No one had seen Franklin move. The man had died in an instant—as if reality itself had skipped a beat.

Thud!!

One of the officials, pale-faced and trembling, suddenly dropped to his knees.

He recognized Souta.

And others, slowly but surely, were beginning to remember as well.

Souta slowly shifted his gaze to the rest of the hall.

One by one, the people dropped to their knees.

At last, they remembered.

This was the man who had shattered the seemingly invincible Great Astley Empire—not through diplomacy or alliances, but with overwhelming power. Without him, the White Liberation Army would never have stood a chance against the empire's formidable military might.

He was the one who had stormed the imperial palace, defeated the emperor, and crushed the very ancestor of the empire's lineage. His strength had turned the tide of history.

He was known as the Strongest—

The Guardian of the Astros Empire.

The founder of the newly established order.

Souta Ieshi.

Souta looked down at the kneeling crowd and asked,

"I've heard everything. So—do you truly wish to forsake the empire?"

"N-No... I will f-fight for the empire..." one of them stammered, trembling with fear.

Souta slowly shook his head and raised his hand.

Amanda stepped forward without hesitation. With a single, clean motion, she severed the man's head.

Blood sprayed across the polished floor, and the already-tense atmosphere turned suffocating. The sight struck terror deep into the hearts of everyone present.

"Lying doesn't work on me," Souta said calmly, his voice low and cold—like a demon whispering directly into their souls.

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