The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1510

With a faint crackle and pop, Alexander walked out of an elliptical disk-shaped portal. He made his to the window to observe the chaos outside.

"Some commotion you have caused," he muttered in his usual detached tone of voice upon seeing the people nervously running back and forth while waiting for any news.

"A moment prior they would have thought themselves to be masters of their fate. Now they are unsure whether they will live to see tomorrow's sunrise...how very fragile they are," he muttered the last sentence under his breath but Hao Xuan could obviously hear it.

"Us, not they," Hao Xuan corrected Alexander, "We're all on the same boat here."

He snickered, "Quite literally."

"Then you were watching I take it. I...went behind the veil."

"I saw. Your question?"

Hao Xuan had to take a minute to think that one through since he didn't have anything specific he wanted to ask just yet.

"I was hoping you could give some advice on what to do next."

Alexander let out a deep breath before turning around to face him. His youthful appearance was in quite a contrast to the sage-like aura that naturally exuded from him.

"Advice? Too much. But this is a process you must discover yourself. Having memories and whispers of the past could lead you astray- down far too dangerous paths than intended."

Hao Xuan shook his head dolefully, "I know, that's what bothers me. There is so much to do that I don't even know where to start. What is the first step? Where do I even begin?"

The corners of ALexander's lips arched up, "Knowing too much could be just as dangerous as knowing too little- if not more so. Let that be a lesson to you that even the Emperor never learned. As for the veil-"

He let out a weary sigh, taking a brief moment to collect his thoughts before continuing.

"The abyss is the perfect place to be in for someone in your shoes. The constant instability of its many layers is home to all manner of strange phenomena that could help you greatly, all you need to take into consideration are the basics."

Hao Xuan frowned, "How do you mean?"

"Of all the planes you know, some of the ones you have even traversed yourself, not all lie on this side of the veil. The Realm of Shadows, the Mirror worlds, Hell and even the Underworld are such examples. All of them are situated either completely behind the veil or somewhere in between."

"The power of the mind, of your thoughts and soul can be multiplied several times over using this connection to the veil. It can be both the quickest and most dangerous route for a newcomer but you are neither new nor unprotected. Leverage your contract with the Nine to freely explore the Umbral planes. As long as you do not step foot inside another's territory there will not be a problem."

"Use the power of the veil to consolidate your strength. Let your mind wander and discover new states so it can expand beyond your mortal limits."

Hao Xuan was nodding along until now but realizing that this was all that 'advice' amounted to he could only shake his head, "That was entirely unhelpful. You're giving a non-answer that explains nothing. I already know all of that, I need something concrete."

Alexander's somewhat jovial expression swiftly turned sour.

"Ignorant mortals, all of you," he grumbled, making Hao Xuan quip with-

"Wasn't your mother a mortal just like me?"

Alexander's fist immediately tightened, "Do NOT mention her!"

"I didn't, you did," Hao Xuan casually shrugged, "You mentioned all mortals, she is a mortal."

Alexander's expression accurately displayed his furious state of mind as he began to turn red, "YOU- How despicable! You're just like the sorcerer! Sometimes it is difficult to tell you apart."

"Hey, that is crossing a line!" Hao Xuan retorted, matching his energy.

"Hmph, and how would you know? You can't even remember anything, pathetic fool!"

Alexander stomped over to Hao Xuan making him lean back, "What? You wanna fight?!"

"Your hand, ignorant fool!"

"What? You're the-"

Alexander suddenly slapped him on the side of his left hand creating a spark of lightning.

"AAH! What the fuck?!" Hao Xuan jumped off the bed while clutching his hand as waves of pain ran up the arm.

"What the hell did you do, you autistic demigod??" he yelled at the empty space since Alexander was already gone.

But that didn't stop him from hurling a slew of curses for a good minute or two until the pain began to subside.

"Fuck, that god damn lunatic!"

Hao Xuan slowly loosened his grip to see a deep red mark on the side of his index finger. It was about 1 centimeter wide, circular with an extremely complex and intricate design.

At first glance it looked like a magic circle but it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Veins could be seen protruding on the sides and it was so sensitive that even breathing in its general direction elicited a response from his pain receptors.