Galaxy's First Ruler

The reason that Aldrich had given seemed too outrageous and incredible. There were just too many factors involved that felt out of place.

The Devil snapped his head up at Aldrich and asked, "But that is…"

"What? Risky?! Yes, it indeed was. I had no way to know what you would do to my body. But it couldn't be avoided. How else was I to master two Laws of the same levels? Also, even if you hadn't died, the moment you would have tried to Rank up, HE would have done something about you."

Aldrich gestured towards the Black Veil, but the Devil didn't dare to look at his right. It was as if the Devil was denying the existence of the Being altogether. As Aldrich mentioned the Ranks, the Devil retorted.

"Just guesses?! How did you even know that I would Rank up or not? Look at me, do I need a mere Viscount written in front of my name?"

Aldrich shook his head, and emotion of sadness came over him.

"You disappoint me, Devil. In this world, there can't be another person who would know me better than you. And yet you think I made a wild guess?!"

A trace of doubt appeared on the Devil's face. Aldrich brought his hands behind his back and continued.

"What is my ultimate weakness? I knew it, so how could you not? It's our life essence. I knew the first thing you would do after taking over my body would be to Rank it up considerably. High enough for the body to last thousands of years. Let me make a guess right now. Tell me If I am wrong, the first thing you did after taking over me was not to leave the Dungeon, but you went straight for the Boss Crawler. I can bet all my insights that the reason you died is also related to life essence."

Gulp!

The Devil gulped heavily, trying to wash away the dryness in his throat. But neither the dryness nor the wetness was real. A mixture of pleading and a suggestive voice came out of the Devil's mouth and reached Aldrich's ears.

"You are right! You are absolutely right! But if you let me be devoured by this wretched bastard, you won't get my Understandings. Then everything that you have done so far would be nothing but a joke. I/We/You aren't that much of a fool, right?"

An evil smile came upon Aldrich's face. And for a fraction of a second, the Devil felt a terror even more horrendous than what he had felt after looking at the massive Black Veil.

Aldrich, almost in a scoffing and reprimanding tone, spoke.

"If I were to compare the Great Old One's WILL to a body, then the part that had descended in your form must be the tip of his dick. How can you even forget that We aren't the only two parties involved in this matter?"

"Sha…" A name escaped out of the Devil's mouth.

"Yes, Sha. The moment I return to my body, I would make her transfer her memories to me. Sure, they would be the scenes from her perspective…"

Aldrich raised his arms out as if holding the entire Darkness in his arms.

"… But I have never lacked time in this place."

Aldrich knew it sounded plausible and cool, but he didn't want to keep coming here. It made him count on a thing that he wasn't completely sure of, making it highly unreliable to him.

The Devil became quiet, eerily quiet, hearing Aldrich's explanation. But soon the devilish emotions kicked in and he laughed out maniacally.

"Hee Hee HAHAHA! When you get those memories, you will also get to know my NAME!! THE TRUTH…."

The Devil didn't get to complete his words, as with another out of rhythm flutter of the Black Veil, his ethereal body disintegrated.

Crunch! Much!

Thum!! Hushhhhhhh!!!

Aldrich narrowed his eyes as he heard the familiar sound of chewing crunchy chips. The entire Darkness thrummed with pleasure and a whisper entered Aldrich's mind. The call urged him to present his conditions for the trade.

Aldrich didn't know why a Being of such stature and such capabilities would even bother to maintain such a relationship with him. But without having more facts and evidence, he refrained from making further guesses. The only reason he kept coming here, regardless of the drastic difference in strength and status, was that he liked this idea of fair trade. As long as it would remain on his terms.

Aldrich turned and faced the Black Veil. He knew what he had given this time couldn't be compared to the previous dish, the Banished Golden Devil. Keeping his limits in mind, Aldrich proclaimed.

"Seal the Devil's Oldest Change to an extent no matter how many times I use it, it doesn't attract the attention of a Devil's WILL."

The Black Veil undulated with a rhythm in response, and the whisper in Aldrich's mind implored him to ask more.

Aldrich gave it a thought, and his white eyes shined with deep cunningness.

"I know YOU can affect RECORD. I don't know how the Devil died, but I want you to…"

*

Space ripped apart as Aldrich's ethereal form entered the Płaza.

The world had lost its color, and everything had become white and black. On the ground, Aldrich saw the Devil's sprawled body, and over him stood a hippie man. Aldrich raised his brows as he recognized the face from the long past. But unlike his previous experiences, when he could see himself in past timelines, he didn't see other scenes related to the Devil. It was apparent that what had died was an amalgam of Aldrich and the Devil, but only Aldrich had got to return.

As the world hinted at gaining color, Aldrich dived into his morphed body.

Aldrich opened his eyes and stood up. The hippie man raised his hand again, but a kick from Aldrich sent the Mantis flying in the distance. Aldrich clenched and unclenched his hands, and felt a little out of place in the transformed body.

"Sha…"

"DADDDYYYY… Daddyyyy… WAHHH… Sniff!!… He.. hit… me… He… Sniff!!!"

Aldrich knew if the Shadow Homunculus could leave his face, Sha would have already put her hands around his neck and bawled her eyes out. It seemed this transformation had tortured the Item too. Aldrich ignored the outlet of emotions coming out of Sha and said.

"Cry later, send me all your memories."

Sniff!

Still crying in Aldrich's mind, Sha sent out scenes after scenes to him. Aldrich took his time going through the memories. The pillar, the Boss, and the Undead made his heart throbbed with anticipation. As the last scene of the Devil's death flashed by, Aldrich involuntarily looked at the Boss, who seemed frail because of the tentacles.

"Impressive!"

A mutter came out of Aldrich's mouth and the Class Generalist presented its terror in the material world again. Aldrich didn't master the Law of Devil outright, but his insights had deepened just from these memories. He put his jet black palms together and the language of LAWs came out of his mouth.

"One Devil's Thought, Hundred Emotions…

… LAW OF DEVIL; BREAK!!!"

The entire black body exploded into a dark mist and condensed into a black greatcoat. On the shoulders of the coat, there were two dense purple rings, and from time to time, they gave out a golden glow. A familiar mask materialized on Aldrich's face, and his hair returned to the whiteness of a foaming ocean.

"How… Huff! How are you still alive?! Who… are you?"

Aldrich heard El Cid's broken voice, who was trying to sit up but failed miserably. And as his white eyes met those of the Undefeated King's bleak red eyes into his helmet, he calmly introduced.

"I… am Aldrich Guo."

here the Devil is addressing Aldrich and himself as one being