"The one speaking to you now is only my clone," said Lein, nodding slightly. His expression remained calm, not wanting to alarm Elen or make her doubt him just because it was only his clone.
When he gave his golden sword to the ten core members, he had a specific purpose, one of which was to help them in times of danger. At that time, he didn't reveal that he could transform the golden sword into his clone, inheriting 80% of his power. He believed it would be detrimental if the core members relied too much on his clone and didn't grow on their own.
A short while ago, Lein sensed through the golden sword in Elen's spatial ring that her life energy was extremely weak, almost gone. At that moment, Lein, who was outside the divine realm, decided to use his clone skill and appeared right beside the unconscious Elen.
Upon hearing Lein's explanation, Elen nodded in understanding. In her eyes, Lein was incredibly powerful and capable of anything. So it wasn't surprising that he had the ability to create a clone from afar, and this clone seemed quite strong. Remembering when Lein had given the core members high-level items, Elen had already become accustomed to Lein's extraordinary techniques and abilities.
"Thank you, Leader Lein, I'm sorry for troubling you," said Elen, filled with gratitude. To hide her face, which was beginning to blush, she bent her body slightly for a few seconds. Lein, observing the girl's awkwardness, could only smile and shake his head.
His gaze shifted to Ayumi. "Thank you, Princess. Are you alright?" Lein asked, his voice full of concern. He had almost forgotten that her life had been on the line earlier, but thanks to Elen's time manipulation skill, Ayumi's energy had been restored.
Ayumi offered a faint smile, lifting her hand slowly and waving it gently as if to ease Lein's worries. "I'm fine, Lord Lein," she replied, her voice calm yet firm. She took a slight step back, almost imperceptible, as though afraid of causing Lein more concern than necessary. The remaining wounds were now just faint marks, as though they no longer mattered to her.
Standing nearby, Ayumi had heard Lein's explanation about his clone ability. Though she had guessed it earlier, she was still amazed to hear it. Her beautiful face reflected her thoughts on how powerful the man before her must be.
"Of course... this man is incredibly strong," she thought, feeling a chill run down her spine.
She could sense that even though the figure before them was just a clone, the aura emanating from him was far stronger than hers, even more than Fryon, whom they had fought earlier. Remembering that they all had systems, she wondered how someone could become so powerful, far beyond the American alliance.
"Leader Lein, he's approaching," Elen whispered, her eyes narrowing in anticipation.
From a distance, they saw Fryon walking toward them, his steps steady and full of confidence. However, unlike before, there was no sign of hostility radiating from him. His face looked calm, even friendly, as if the battle between them had never occurred.
Fryon drew closer, his bare chest exposed and his long robe fluttering softly in the wind. There was no longer the terrifying aura that had accompanied his every move earlier. He now seemed more like a guest than a threatening enemy. Every step he took was relaxed, as if he were meeting an old acquaintance.
Lein turned around, his gaze locking onto Fryon, who was now just three meters away.
Without warning, Fryon suddenly bent over, his muscular body bowing so low it was parallel with the ground. "Honorable Senior, I apologize for my foolish actions earlier," his voice was filled with respect, making the air around them feel slightly chilled.
Ayumi and Elen exchanged glances, their jaws slack in disbelief at what they had just heard. They never imagined that the once-ferocious Fryon would lower himself so much.
Still bent over, Fryon extended his hand, tossing a golden ring toward Lein.
"I surrender, sir. Take all my belongings," he said in a flat but resolute tone.
The ring floated through the air before Lein caught it with one hand, his gaze filled with curiosity and a hint of surprise.
Lein scrutinized Fryon, his eyes narrowing slightly as he weighed the situation. The thought crossed his mind—how unlikely it was for a high-level being like Fryon to humble himself so completely to a lower-tier race like Earth's humans.
"I am willing to be your servant, Senior," Fryon continued with a firm tone, as if every word had been carefully chosen after hundreds of considerations before being spoken. There was no hesitation in his voice.
As he awaited Lein's response, Fryon's heart pounded in his chest. His fate was about to be decided at this very moment.
Lein observed the man's body with a calm gaze before speaking, "What benefit would I gain from taking you as a servant?"
Upon hearing Lein's question, Fryon relaxed slightly. At least Lein was still considering it. He immediately explained that he could do anything.
"I will do whatever you command, Senior... I can even provide all the information about my race," Fryon said firmly, though his eyes flickered with tension. As one of the leaders of the invasion, he knew more than the others, but now, he had no choice but to offer everything.
Lein chuckled softly, nodding his head slightly. But shortly after, his smile faded, and an immense aura erupted from his body, pressing the air around them.
"Sword Heaven Prison," Lein said as he waved his hand slowly.
From the clear sky, four enormous golden swords appeared suddenly, shooting down with incredible speed, encircling Fryon. The swords stabbed into the ground, forming an inescapable prison around him. Once the swords touched the ground, golden energy radiated from each blade, creating a dome-shaped prison that enveloped Fryon entirely.
*Note: Skill 4: (Sword Heaven Prison) Summons a sword prison to trap enemies for 5 seconds. Reduces enemy attributes by 50%. Cooldown: 30 minutes.