Reincarnated With The Strongest System

The day after William returned to the Thousand Beast Domain…

After getting a good night's rest, William joined everyone to have breakfast together. It had been nearly a month since everyone had seen him, and they were quite curious about the things that he had done in the outside world.

Since they were staying inside William's Domain, they were unable to get out of it, unless the black-haired teenager had given them the ability to do so.

Among the ladies, only Chloee had the ability to leave the Domain anytime she wanted.

William had placed a spawning location inside the City of Alabaster. Since it was a trade-city where information from all parts of the Central Continent could be gathered, the Half-Elf thought that it was the ideal place to gather the recent news and rumors that were spreading in every kingdom and empire across the land.

Chloee could freely teleport inside the city and return inside the Thousand Beast Domain, anytime that she wanted. This was how she was able to communicate with the spies that were under Joash's control in the Demon Continent, as well as Ephemera's weekly report on what was happening in the alliance.

"Lord William, do you have any pressing matters to do today?" Shannon asked as she gazed at the Half-Elf with an expectant gaze from under her fox mask.

"No," William replied. "Do you need me for something?"

Shannon nodded her head. "You see, my Fox Mask is almost out of power. Without it, I will not be able to control my Divinity and I might cause everyone here in the Thousand Beast Domain to commit suicide~"

"... That is indeed a problem."

"I know, right?"

William drank his wine before placing the cup back on top of the table. He then gazed at the young fox lady who had decided to stay with him, after she had escaped from Hestia Academy.

"Since you asked me if I'm busy or not, it means that you need my help to recharge the power of that artifact, right?" William inquired. "So, how may I help you?" 

Although the Half-Elf was now immune to the power of Shannon's Divinity, the rest of his subordinates, with the exception of those who held powerful Divinities and Chloee, were not. He would not allow the Fox Lady's Divinity to run wild under his watch.

"It's simple really, I just need you to help recharge the Fox Mask with the power of Darkness," Shannon answered. 

"That's it?" William asked back.

"Yes. simple, right?"

"For some reason, I have a feeling that it will not be that simple."

Shannon chuckled and her laughter was like the peeling of bells. William still didn't know what Divinity she held. All he knew was that she could cause a one-sided genocide the moment she took off the mask from her beautiful face.

"I will help you this afternoon," William stated after thinking for a while. He would still need to drink blood from Charmaine and the maids, before having a session with Princess Aila to stabilize his soul. 

After contracting the twin Deities, Astrape, and Bronte, he felt a sudden pressure in his soul that gave him some slight discomfort. It was as if his soul had become unstable once again after gaining the power of the twin Deities who held the power of Lightning and Thunder. 

Shannon nodded. "Okay. This afternoon will be good as well."

After getting William's reply, Shannon left the dining table while humming a happy tune. She then returned directly to her room without giving anyone a side-long glance. Originally, her mask still had two-weeks worth of power in it, but she didn't like to take chances.

Shannon knew how important the people inside the Thousand Beast Domain were to William, so she didn't want to harm any of them by accident.

After returning to her room, Shannon went to her drawing room where a blank canvas was waiting for her.

"Well then, time to start," Shannon said softly as she pressed her brush on the canvas' surface. 

Soon the brush moved in fast and powerful strokes, as Shannon drew the portrait of a beautiful, white-haired girl with crimson eyes. The white-haired beauty was wearing a silver tiara on her head, studded with red gems, which complimented the color of her eyes. 

There was a small golden snake that was coiled around her neck, and its head rested on her shoulder, as if taking a nap. It was like an accessory that laid motionless, giving the drawing in front of Shannon a melancholic atmosphere. 

After drawing the lady, she then drew a garden of blooming flowers that created a picturesque backdrop that heightened the presence of the silver-haired lady, whose eyes were filled with sadness.

Shannon stopped moving the brush in her hand and admired her work for half a minute before nodding her head in satisfaction.

"I've always wanted to meet you," Shannon said softly as she dabbed the brush in purple paint and drew a portal in her painting.

Soon, the canvas disappeared and it was replaced by a misty blue portal that showed the garden she had just drawn.

Shannon smiled as she walked through the portal like she had done when she took everyone to the Demon Continent, in search of the Half-Elf who had now fallen into Darkness.

—--

Southern Continent, Hellan Kingdom…

Estelle looked at the garden in front of her with a sad expression on her face. 

When the curse was lifted from her body, she was in a party that was held to celebrate the union of Brianna and her younger brother, Prince Ernest.

Her transformation created a scene, which caught everyone's attention. After the light receded from her body, her beautiful appearance mesmerized the young nobles, as well as the influential people that had come to celebrate Prince Ernest's and Brianna's engagement party.

Since then, she had received numerous marriage proposals, but she turned all of them down. However, the letters, as well as personal visits didn't end, which frustrated the young lady, whose identity was known to all.

She was none other than Estelle Newmont Vi Hellan, the one and only Princess of the Hellan Kingdom. 

After Princess Sidonie's disappearance, she was crowned the new number one beauty in the Southern Continent, and many young men wished for her to become their bride.

Unfortunately for them, Estelle only had eyes for one man, and yet, that man was somewhere far from her reach.

As she was thinking of her beloved Half-Elf, she felt a fluctuation in the air. The golden snake that was coiled on her neck raised its head as it hissed at the purple portal that materialized out of nowhere.

A few seconds later, a lady with long white hair, who was wearing a Fox Mask, appeared in front of her.

Estelle immediately summoned her holy sword and pointed it on the stranger that had appeared uninvited inside the Royal Gardens of the Palace.

"Who are you?" Estelle asked as the holy sword in her hand shone with a golden radiance.

Shannon smiled from under the mask as she raised both of her hands in surrender, to prevent the silver-haired lady from attacking her.

"Salutations," Shannon replied. "Although I may look suspicious, I guarantee that I am not. I hail from the Central Continent, and I came here to share some news with you about your beloved, William."

"Will?" Estelle frowned. "How do you know about him? Who are you?"

The young fox lady held her skirt and made a curtsy as she introduced herself to one of the people whom William held very dear in his darkness-stained heart. 

"Shannon," Shannon said in a respectful tone. "I came here to ask you a favor, Your Highness."

"A favor?"

"Yes. a favor in exchange for an opportunity to see your beloved, who is stopping himself from seeing you due to his current state."

Estelle narrowed her eyes as she stared at the mysterious lady that seemed to know William very well.

"Start talking," Estelle ordered. "What is your relationship with Will?"

Shannon smiled from underneath her mask before raising her head. She then stared at William's best friend, and lover, whose sword was now pointed in her direction.

"Worry not, Your Highness, I am not your enemy," Shannon replied. "In fact, both of us are allies. After all, I am Will's…"