BXBX NOVEL Chapter 653: Meanwhile, As the DPZ Recedes (1)
*Still, moving forward, I will try my best to adhere to the schedule I set up back at the beginning of the year, and maybe, by the time we hit the 3rd anni, TOBS will have breached the 1k mark and moved toward the 1500 checkpoint.*
*As usual, I can\'t thank every one of you enough for taking the step into the lives of Cynrik and Brance alongside me. And I hope, with volume 6 ending in the next couple of chapters, I can throw you for a loop more than once because Vol 7 will be a wild rollercoaster of a trip.*
-Year 2: 653 Chapters, 1.1 Mil Words, 1.53 Mil Views.-
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Meanwhile, as the DPZ recedes at the pace befitting a snail in a distant region, filled with mountains, forests, howling winds, and powerful creatures, the likes that would even cause Cynrik and Brance to shiver thanks to the intense Mana waves, their bodies emitted, lie a small town, enveloped in a massive futuristic wall.
The architecture of this village contrasted heavily with the futuristic materials, which cobbled together into a mix of organic and non-organic items and formed this multi-kilometer-wide wall.
Reaching toward the sky for an impressive 500 meters, unless one could fly or utilize vehicles, it would be impossible to see the strange buildings reminiscent of olden-style Japanese architecture.
Yet another contrasting feeling to this olden-style village, full of active people and large villas rivaling the Pinhurst Mansion, rested a sizeable open runway-style field, where multiple battle cruisers idled, prepared at a moment\'s notice to defend the village.
One cruiser, slightly larger than the others and boasting a familiar coat of arms, had its entry open, and a beautiful and curvy middle-aged woman with features reminiscent of Rikard moved with purpose toward a large group of men and women wearing combat uniforms, who could be seen standing at attention and welcoming this woman.
As the woman drew closer, three men and two women stepped forward, all sharing similar physical traits, clearly siblings, as they knelt before the now-stopped woman and greeted her in unison.
"We greet the Matriarch Mother." These five said with enthusiasm; however, the woman, Darla Rosalee Jetlensr, said nothing and practically ignored their existence for several seconds.
This woman was the mother to not only each of the five kneeling before her but also Rikard and the grandmother of Cynrik and Brance.
Contemplating her words carefully, the only sound that could be heard close by was of the wind as the group of uniformed men and women awaited their Matriarch\'s information.
She had left the homestead several months back, not long after the battered and beaten body of her grandson randomly teleported into her Villa.
Her eyes scanned the crowd before falling on the young man in question, and subconsciously, her tense body seemed to loosen slightly.
Thinking back to the moment all those months ago, a flash of sorrow momentarily glinted in Darla\'s eyes, and she couldn\'t help but think back to the horrible day…
-Several months back, during the Gala Incident-
As Darla went about her daily life, multiple warning formations were triggered in her Villa, indicating someone had intruded on her privacy. Soon enough, she located the intruder but stopped in her tracks upon finding the bloodied visage of someone she had personally trained since he was only three years old.
Someone of her stature instantly knew something was terribly wrong. The young man\'s sudden appearance, the Token clutched in his right hand, and the lack of her husband joining soon after caused the woman to collapse in a sign of momentary weakness.
She knew then and there that her husband, Lithlen, had passed on, and it took her several minutes of grief before she hurriedly collected herself, along with her grandson, and made her way toward the recovery room.
Upon depositing the injured and unconscious young man in one of the recovery pods, Darla swiftly called for a family meeting before flashing away to the metaphorical throne room, which, although it had two giant ornate thrones, was more of a long and open church setting than an open meeting hall.
Half an hour later, the entire family of well over 300 people had taken their positions, with the elders and more powerful standing before the front pews while the weaker and younger members filled in behind their respective lineage.
Soon after the arrival of the last youngster, Darla entered the room from a hidden entrance and, much to the surprise of everyone present, didn\'t sit upon the throne, which had been hers for over a century, but instead took her place on the throne which had once belonged to her husband.
Without giving anyone a moment to speak, Darla spoke up, using an authoritative and icy tone for which she was known.
"Let me start this meeting by announcing that Lithlen…my husband and the Patriarch of the Jetlensr Family, has fallen; as such, I shall be filling in for the foreseeable future as the Current Matriarch of the Family."
Contrary to how one would expect this group of people to react, an eerie silence fell on the throne room as shock and grief were plastered across the faces of many.
However, if one paid closer attention to the faces of a select few individuals, it wouldn\'t be hard to pick up on the malicious glint in their eyes, a sign that the Jetlensr Family wasn\'t nearly as united as they affronted.
"Before you get it in your heads that there will be a competition or battle for the throne, let me nip those thoughts in the bud. Before his passing, the Patriarch had already chosen his successor." Darla\'s eyes fell on those select few known for causing internal strife in the family and glared daggers at each of them.
"Although his present state and age leaves much to desire and doesn\'t fit the title bestowed upon him, Leelan is in possession of the Token and, upon reaching the proper Tier and strength, will become the next Patriarch."
"As such, if I find any of you plotting or up to sinister means, I will personally see to it that your life becomes forfeit, and you will not see another day on this planet." At her words, her might as a Peak Tier-5 radiated from her body, filling the room with a combination of her dense Killing Intent and Aura, which bore down on everyone present.
With that said and done, Darla made a few other commands and requests of her people, including for those closest to her to protect Leelan explicitly, before gathering her battle squad, boarding her cruiser, and leaving for Valor City.
Taking charge of the battlecruiser, which once belonged to her husband, Darla Jetlensr swiftly left the family compound to gather whatever information she could on the death of her Husband.