Chapter 235: Book 7: Chapter 4 – Godeater Rat
"I can't believe I have to wear this," Ace muttered as he skipped dozens of meters with each seemingly casual step, dressed in a plain but glistening white robe.
"This is the first time this king has seen you in anything but cargo pants and shirts," Wukong laughed as he traversed through the skies beside Ace.
"Aunt Milli was right," Amira smiled. "We're on our way to what may well be the biggest event of our era; the crowned prince of a major kingdom can't be seen dressed in combats and loose-fitting shirts. Your appearance and actions are a reflection of the Gol Kingdom now."
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I have to like it," Ace grumbled back as he pulled at his top dissatisfiedly. "My old clothes were so much more comfortable."
"I still don't understand why all you humans insist on wearing clothes all the time," Leona growled aloud. "Being naked is true freedom!"
"You would say that!" Ace rolled his eyes, being that he was the only one who could understand her due to their bond.
At that moment, Like many other saint-level beings from around the continent, Ace and his small group of four were casually making their way through the skies towards the centre of the Forest of Darkness – the location of the gates to the mysterious Necropolis of the Gods.
The night before, the whole of the upper echelon of the Gol Kingdom had a large banquet where they said their goodbyes to their four strongest experts.
Because Amira was going as well, her parents, as well as a few of the senior members of her Rohault Empire, had come to say their goodbyes.
Ace had to admit that he was slightly surprised that neither of Amira's parents were going, but with the twins – Amira's two little "siblings" – being so young, neither wanted to be away for so long during their formative years.
The mood during the banquet was joyful and harmonious, but it still left Ace feeling bittersweet. Whether it was his classmates, Lance, Killian or his mother, this would be the longest time he had spent away from any of them.
He'd be lying if he said he was a bit reluctant to be apart from them, but he knew that whether for his personal development or for the sake of Aiden's future, he couldn't afford not to go.
Still, the process of saying goodbye was definitely made easier by the fact that Milianna's tainted soul had healed. Although still sad that her little boy would be leaving her, she was able to remain strong.
That being said, her resolve to become a saint was stronger now than ever before. Only then would she be able to make sure she would have an eternity together with those she loved.
Still, between her incredible talent and the fact that Ace would likely be away for the next twenty years – undoubtedly heading up to the deity levels of the ruins – chances are, by the time Ace returns, she would've long since broken through to become a saint, even with the ridiculous prerequisites imposed on her by her master.
Ace, who was still grumbling unhappily about the choice of attire his mother had picked out for him, suddenly looked up as they approached the depths of the forest.
"So many saints," Ace sighed when he sensed the cluster of various powerful auras in the distance.
Whether it was Leona, Amira, or Wukong, none of them had ventured so far into the Forest of Darkness, but hearing Ace's words, they immediately understood that they had to be nearing their destination.
Within minutes, a jet-black castle, seemingly made of a unique black metal, appeared in the distance. The castle stretched over an area of several square kilometres. But in front of the black metal castle, hundreds of saint-level experts had gathered.
Among them were faces Ace recognised, such as Desri and the other prime saints, Wharton's master Haydson, and even Olivier – who after all this time seemed to have broken through to the mid-stages of the saint realm. There were many others he recognised from his mother's wedding or his fight with Linley, but most were faces he had never met before.
"This king is shocked there are so many early-stage saints that dare to enter," Wukong shook his head.
"According to my father, in the past, lord Beirut had limited the number of experts who were allowed entry by allocating a certain number of places to O'Brien, Catherine, and the various prime saints, which prevented the majority of saints – including my father – from being able to enter," Amira explained. "But since Lord Beirut decided to open it up to everyone this time, it was no surprise that so many saints are determined to try their luck this time.
If they're lucky, they might be able to find a treasure that could very well change their fates."
"Or, more likely, they'll end up dead," Wukong scoffed.
Whilst Ace and his group were studying the various experts already gathered, those same experts were studying Ace.
"So that's Ace, huh?"
"Apparently, he's the greatest talent our Yulan Continent has ever produced."
"It's a shame I had been training in isolation these last few decades, so I couldn't watch the battle between him and that young Dragonblood Warrior. Still, he doesn't look too impressive."
The comments never stopped flying, many of which were sceptical with a hint of disdain. After all, which saint wasn't considered a peerless talent in their youth? Between that and their having never seen Ace in action, how could they be willing to admit their inferiority so readily?
Still, that had nothing to do with Ace and his group, who were too lazy to pay attention to them. After taking a quick glance at the various experts, they calmly made their way towards a small group of four, waiting patiently in a secluded corner.
"Must you brats always be the centre of attention wherever you go?" Lazerim sighed as he watched Ace and the others make their way over.
"Linley's arrival gained just as much attention," Kimika added.
"I was hoping that by coming early, I'd be able to skip all of that," Linley sighed from the side with Bebe lying lazily on his shoulder before focusing on Ace's odd expression. "Hmm, what's wrong with you?"
"That castle," Ace muttered absentmindedly. "I think it's alive."
"It is," Bebe said aloud, his voice shocking all those of Ace's group.
"How can you speak?" Amira asked in confusion. "You're not a saint yet; you're only at the ninth rank!"
"Don't underestimate me!" Bebe snorted disdainfully as he rose to his back feet whilst puffing out his furry little chest and pointing his nose up towards the sky to look down at Amira and Ace. "I, Bebe, am an invincible Godeater Rat of the mighty Beirut Clan!"
"Beirut Clan? Godeater Rat?" Ace's eyes widened in surprise when he heard that. "You're related to Beirut?"
"Grandpa Beirut could be considered my ancestor!" Bebe grinned proudly upon seeing Ace's surprise. "He was the first Godeater in existence. In fact, until my birth, he was the only Godeater in existence. It was he who gave me a treasure that allowed me to speak in human tongue before becoming a saint.
"Godeater huh?" Ace smiled. "A very imposing name."
"Don't underestimate us, Godeater Rats," Bebe snorted. "Upon becoming deities, we can be considered invincible in the same realm. Even among Divine Beasts, there are very few who can match us!"
A low but imposing growl escaped the lips of Leona, who felt her competitive spirit and battle intent rising after hearing Bebe's words.
"Not now, Leona," Ace said, gently stroking his familiar's obsidian fur. "You can have some fun with the "Godeater" inside the ruins."
Bebe had been so excited to show off that he forgot that, like him, Leona was an Apex Divine Beast. When she became a Divine Beast in the future, she would likely awaken a powerful Divine Ability as well.
Still, he was confident that he was no weaker than the obsidian lioness in front of him. And when he awakened his Divine Ability, the gap would grow to an inconceivable level.
But whilst Bebe was confident, Leona was even more so. Still, she knew Ace was correct; there was a time and a place for that, and now was neither.
"Anyway," Ace said, bringing the topic of conversation back on track. "What were you saying about the castle?"
"Ooh yeah, like you guessed, this castle is sentient. According to Grandpa Beirut, it's called a metallic lifeform. After bonding with it, you can control it to take any shape you wish," Bebe explained excitedly. "They also come at different levels; this one is at the level of a high god. As such, it can be considered an invincible existence here on the continent.
Even if Grandpa didn't take action, this metallic lifeform would be able to kill all the experts here without much effort."
Hearing that, whether it was Ace, Wukong, or even Amira, they were all greatly.
'Beirut really is something else,' Ace sighed. 'Even his castle can be described as an invincible existence.'
Ace opened his mouth to say something else when he suddenly turned his head over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed the group approaching from the distance. "I was wondering when they were going to make their appearance."
Hearing Ace's words and sensing his growing bloodlust, Linley and the others didn't need to see them to understand who it was.
Before long, a large group of almost 40 saints appeared in the distance. Almost all of whom were at the peak of the saint realm, but the focus of everyone's attention were the two overwhelming existences leading the pack.
The one slightly in front and to the left was the ever-beautiful High Priest of the Yulan Empire, and just behind her was the crimson-haired Demi-God donning an imposing crimson armour.
"O'Brien!" Ace snarled.
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