Timeless Assassin

(Planet Tithia)

Leo returned to Tithia soon after the Hostage Transfer Procedure began, for by then there was nothing more he could add to the war effort.

Su Pei, Dupravel, Ben, and Dumpy accompanied him, completely unaware that their entry would cause a massive headache for the Elders Council.

It was only after their arrival on Tithia that the Elders Council finally learned about the exact circumstances behind Su Pei's surrender.

Naturally, they were rendered speechless when they found out that Su Pei had not surrendered to the Cult at all, but had bound himself through a master-slave contract to Leo personally, at which point many of them were left flabbergasted.

"This is absolutely outrageous! The Shadow Dragon now has two Monarch Tier warriors working for him!

At this rate he will become more powerful than the Cult forces.

In fact, he may soon begin acting the same way as Charles, who we can't reign in ...." The First Elder complained, as almost everyone within the Council agreed to his view.

"But it's not like we can punish him either…. Afterall, he's breaking no laws per se.

If anything, he did the Cult a big service by making a formidable enemy Commander submit to him." The seventh elder argued, as the others found themselves in a moral dilemma.

On one hand, they had no grounds to reprimand Leo for his actions, however, on the other hand, they did not appreciate this development even slightly.

Being the greedy politicians that they were, they couldn't fathom the idea of anyone having more power than they did, which was why Leo's growing influence alarmed them all.

"Well elections are just a few months away, right now is not the right time to antagonize the Shadow Dragon or launch a politically risky move against him.

But, after the elections are settled….. we must find a way to put checks and balances against that boy." The Fourth Elder suggested, as almost everyone present on the conference call hummed in agreement.

"Yes, for now, let's just push him into training, so he doesn't have time to think about anything else.

I suggest we send him to the Second Elder, to learn the forbidden technique that Veyr already knows.

We can even use the excuse of Veyr currently being tied up in the war clean-up to be the perfect time for his solo training." The Twelfth Elder suggested, as once again everyone muttered in agreement.

"Alright, it's settled then….. send out an executive order to the Shadow Dragon.

Inform him that he's to report for training tomorrow morning on planet Morod." The First Elder said, as the conference call finally ended.

—----------

(Leo's POV)

Leo had barely set foot back on Tithia, when without even a moment to breathe or rest, an order arrived for him to report to Planet Morod for training the very next day.

"The fuck? I haven't even had the chance to tell my girlfriend I'm alive and back… Why can't they wait a day or two?" he muttered, his frustration spilling over, as Ben placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry, my boy. I've been sending Amanda clippings of you being alive almost every day. With my body this battered, I'm heading back to Vorthas for repairs anyway, so I'll make sure to pass the message."

Leo exhaled heavily, letting some of the tension drain away.

"Su Pei, if you don't mind, follow Ben to my house for a few days. My brother has been through quite the ordeal recently, and I think you're the right person to oversee his recovery."

Su Pei raised an eyebrow but gave no objection. Normally, a warrior of his stature would never lower himself to such menial work, but this was his first time within Cult Territory, and he found himself curious to explore it through civilian eyes.

"I don't mind. I'll do as you please, master," Su Pei replied, as he earned a small smile from Leo.

Arriving in Tithia, Su Pei was immediately struck by how advanced and well-organized the Cult's cities were.

Contrary to what the Righteous Faction drilled into its people, these were not barbaric lands drowning in filth and chaos.

The streets were clean, infrastructure modern, and the common folk went about their lives with a sense of pride and belonging.

It was in complete contrast to what the righteous faction wanted its citizens to believe, for back there, the Universal Government wasted no time flooding its citizens with carefully tailored propaganda.

Across every holo-screen, news anchor, and official channel, the Cult was painted as a hellscape, its cities portrayed as crumbling slums, its air heavy with disease, and its soldiers as cruel slave masters who whipped and starved their workers into submission.

Grainy, exaggerated footage was played on repeat: gaunt figures dragging heavy loads through muddy streets, armed overseers standing ready with whips, and children dressed in rags begging for scraps.

The narrative was clear….. life under the Cult was misery incarnate, and only the Righteous Alliance could stand between their citizens and such horrors.

The truth, however, was far more complicated, and for men like Su Pei, setting foot on Tithia was all it took to realize just how deep the Universal Government's lies truly ran.

He had always expected the videos to be fake and exaggerated to some degree, since the Cult did possess technology and weapons that did not seem like something slum dwellers should have, however, he wasn't sure about it until he landed on Tithia.

Only now, after seeing the Cult territory with his own eyes, did he truly realise that the Evil Cult was never really evil, as he found his curiosity being piqued as to what the culture around here really was.

Su Pei wanted to learn as to what other lies he was fed, which was why he accepted the role of a simple overseer, which would allow him a lot of leisure time to explore the Cult and its real culture at his own pace.

"What about me Lord Father? What do I do?" Dumpy asked, as Leo gave him an apologetic smile and a consoling head pat.

"I'm sorry Dumpy, but you're going straight back to Juxta, to train under Charles…." Leo said apologetically, as Dumpy immediately turned a few shades pale.

The poor frog really did not wish to go back under Charles and begged for Leo to not send him away.

However, after seeing his growth under Charles's training, Leo decided to be harsh and send him back regardless of his protests, as he needed Dumpy to become the strongest version of himself that he possibly could.