Without even realizing it, Locke had already earned the enmity of a Sovereign.
Of course, even if he had known, he wouldn't have paid much attention to Blood Peak Sovereign Pash.
After passing through the interplanar teleportation array and arriving in the Netherworld, Ryan and his group were briefly questioned by the Sovereign Legion stationed there.
Upon learning that they were guests of Prefecture Lord Oakes of Shadowmoon Prefecture, the soldiers courteously escorted them all the way to their destination.
"Hahaha! Ryan, Rockpeak—welcome, welcome!"
In Shadowmoon Prefecture, Oakes had already come out to greet them at the city gates as soon as he received word of their arrival.
Though Oakes was now the strongest under Lord Locke, he understood something clearly—
Locke valued old ties.
Veterans like Ryan and Rockpeak, who had followed Locke from the earliest days, held a place in Locke's heart no less important than his own.
So, while Oakes might neglect others, he would never show the slightest disrespect to Ryan and Rockpeak.
"Lord Oakes."
Seeing Oakes personally come out to receive them, Ryan and Rockpeak both broke into smiles.
From Oakes' attitude alone, they could already tell—
Lord Locke had not abandoned them.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Oakes led the five of them into the city and straight to his residence.
"Lord Ryan, Lord Rockpeak."
Outside the mansion, Yagonia stood with her son, Figroa, greeting them respectfully.
Although Oakes now surpassed Ryan and Rockpeak in strength, back when they had first met, that hadn't been the case.
Even then, Ryan and Rockpeak had never looked down on Oakes—they had always treated him as an equal.
Now that Oakes had grown stronger, he naturally wouldn't look down on them either.
"Haha, Ryan, Rockpeak—this is my son, Figroa."
"Roia, come greet your uncles."
"Yes, Father."
Figroa stepped forward and bowed.
"Roia greets Uncle Ryan, Uncle Rockpeak."
"Good, good!"
Ryan stepped forward, helping him up with a smile.
"As expected of Oakes' son—your foundation is far more solid than ours was."
Ryan's comment wasn't casual.
He had already noticed—Figroa was still only a God.
With both parents being Highgods, Figroa's talent was unquestionable. Reaching Highgod wouldn't be difficult.
Yet despite his age, he remained at God—
the reason was obvious.
"Sigh, Ryan, don't praise him too much," Oakes said, though there was a hint of pride in his voice.
"It's been over two million years, and he's only just fused two Profound Mysteries of the Laws of Water. He hasn't even found the point of convergence for the third."
Ryan blinked in surprise.
God was, according to Lord Locke, the optimal stage for fusing Profound Mysteries.
Back when Ryan had learned of this method, he was already a Highgod—yet even so, he had fused two earth-type mysteries within a thousand years.
Figroa, on the other hand…
Two million years for two mysteries, and still no progress toward a third.
That level of talent… was difficult to praise.
"Oakes, if I remember correctly, Lord Locke also has a water divine clone, right?"
Oakes sighed and led them inside.
Truthfully, he had long wanted to send Figroa to Locke for guidance.
Perhaps under Locke's instruction, Figroa might have achieved more.
But Locke had seen Figroa before—and had never offered to teach him.
Oakes didn't dare presume and send his son on his own initiative.
"Come, sit."
Once everyone was settled, Oakes shifted the topic.
"Ryan, what brings you to the Netherworld this time?"
Ryan nodded.
"To be precise… we're here seeking refuge."
He then recounted everything—the years of war, the conflict with Frank, and finally—
"I lost my temper and killed the Blood Peak Legion's battalion commander."
"We feared retaliation from Blood Peak Sovereign, so we came here before he could react, hoping to seek Lord Locke's protection."
"…I see."
Even Oakes couldn't help but feel a trace of concern.
There was a crucial difference between dying in battle…
and killing a Sovereign Legion commander in anger.
Many factions resented being dragged into war by the Sovereign Legions.
But why didn't they strike back?
Because Sovereign Legions represented the will of a Sovereign.
Killing their soldiers—especially a Seven-Star Fiend commander—was tantamount to slapping a Sovereign in the face.
If Ryan's actions became widely known, Pash would have no choice but to make an example of him.
Otherwise, others might follow suit, and the entire war effort could collapse into chaos.
And yet…
Ryan and his group had made it all the way to the Netherworld unharmed.
Their luck was… remarkable.
"This matter involves a Sovereign," Oakes said slowly. "We must report it to Lord Locke."
But unlike Ryan and the others—
who believed Locke was a Sovereign—
Oakes knew the truth.
Locke was not a Sovereign.
So how would he respond to pressure from Blood Peak Sovereign?
Would he hand them over?
Though anxiety flickered in his heart, Oakes revealed none of it.
"Ryan, Rockpeak—Lord Locke once said that if anything came up, we could seek him at the Netherworld Mountain."
"We should leave immediately."
"Agreed."
Ryan and Rockpeak exchanged a glance and nodded.
They needed to see Locke—personally.
After giving a few instructions to Yagonia and entrusting Clifford, Bella Kess, and Ismail with the defense of Shadowmoon Prefecture, Oakes departed with Ryan and Rockpeak.
As a wind-type Highgod specializing in speed, Oakes' flight was far faster than any metal lifeform.
Even carrying two people, he barely slowed.
Over a decade later, the three finally arrived at the Netherworld Mountain range.
"So… this is Netherworld Mountain?"
Ryan scratched his head. "Where would Lord Locke be?"
"…Isn't it obvious?" Rockpeak said dryly.
Oakes simply pointed ahead.
Amidst the surrounding peaks—hundreds or thousands of meters tall—
one mountain towered tens of thousands of meters into the sky, shrouded in mist.
It stood alone, utterly dominant.
"Let's go. The highest peak."
"Hm?"
Inside the Water Estate, Locke suddenly let out a soft sound.
"What is it?" Lilia asked.
"I can sense the aura of some of my subordinates."
"They've come here… probably because something's happened."
Lilia tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
At Locke's level, it was only natural to have followers.
Even if he had never intended to build a faction, others would still gather under him for protection.
It wasn't about personality.
It was about strength.
"Should I step out for a while?" she asked.
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