Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Hal's eyes widened in outrage,

"Now wait just a moment..." He began but when the sect head turned her eyes in his direction, he froze and found it impossible to speak.

"I am already sparing your life. Take the win and get the hell out of my sect" the silver moon sect head said and a blast of energy shot out of her firm heading towards Hal who knew even before he tried that he could not avoid or block that attack.

But he need not fear as the attack had been benign and only served to toss him backward and into the black hole Corrina had just opened up behind him.

*Whump*

Taking him right out of the Silver moon sect territory and outside the main gates where the guards were more than surprised at the ejection.

Hal groaned and rolled to his feet in annoyance.

'Well, I guess that's that' Grimoire piped.

Hal said nothing and instead turned away from the grinning face of the antagonistic guard he had met before Leona came out to take him into the sect.

After dusting his clothes, he took a walk.

Preferring that over boarding a carriage.

'So what now?' Grimoire asked.

When Hal still said nothing, the artifact continued,

'Do you contact the princess and tell her you failed?'

'I haven't failed.' Hal said.

'Well, you didn't get what you came here for so I would say that's failing...' Grimoire began but paused when a thought came to it, 'Unless you have a plan'

Hal smiled,

'Took you long enough to catch on... Of course, I have a plan' he told the Artifact.

'Alright then, let me hear it. Because if it involves going back into the sect, I would have to be honest and call you out on that stupid idea as a complete idiot' Grimoire said clearly not pulling any of its metaphoric punches today.

Hal was not bothered though,

"It actually does involve me going into the sect. In fact, I'm not just going into the sect, I'm going to rob it' he said

'Oh, so you're not just a complete idiot but a complete idiot with a death wish' Grimoire said with a maniacal cackle.

Hal rolled his eyes both mentally and physically,

'Will you stop trying to find ways to insult me for one second and think real hard on why I would have such a potentially suicidal thought?'

Grimoire paused and indeed when it was not just attempting to make fun of its host, it could see the merit of such a dangerous sounding plan,

'The troubles... The troubles the Silver moon sect is facing' it said in realization.

'Exactly' Hal said with a lazy smile.

'That is the window I need. I mean whatever this trouble is, it is so potent that it has a Cosmic saint worried... And it has not even actually happened yet. Just the thought of it is what has her worried.

Imagine how preoccupied she and everyone else in the silver moon sect will be when it actually starts. There's no way they would be keeping a lookout on something they don't need' he explained.

'But what if you're wrong. What if she's lying and actually does care about it enough to worry about it' Grimoire said.

Hal, having thought of this scenario already was quick to answer,

"If she still has it in her vault, then it would not matter as long as she is preoccupied. If she has it on a person which is very, very, very unlikely, then and only then will I admit failure... For the time being of course. Until I come up with another plan.'

'What about time? You have no idea when it's going to happen. What if it surpasses the less than two weeks limit you have?' Grimoire asked.

Hal shrugged

'I doubt it would take that long.'

...

Hal went into the first hotel he saw which was closest to the Silver moon sect and booked a room.

He wanted to make himself accessible in case of any visitors because all planning aside, he was sure he would be visited by a certain silver-eyed lady.

At nightfall, someone knocked on his door and when Hal scouted ahead with his Astral sense and then pulled the door open, he was surprised to 'see' it was not the silver-eyed lady he had been expecting...

"Corrina, what a pleasant surprise"

... It was her sister.

Corrina met Hal with a frown even though her glare had lessened a tad bit.

Now, for one thing, Hal knew he was incapable of defeating her in battle if that was indeed what she was after.

The mere fact that she had comprehended an Ordinance told of her having visited the monument of Ordinances five hundred years ago, except of course in case of unique circumstances which Hal was sure was not the case for her.

Anyway, since she had been able to enter the monument of Ordinances, then she must have been at the Cosmic Phenomenon realm at that time which meant that now, five hundred years later, she was already most likely a Semi-saint.

The hint of pressure she began to let out of her body as she passed by Hal into his hotel room confirmed his suspicions.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Hal asked with a charming smile even though he had his guard up in case of anything.

That he could not defeat the silver-eyed lady did not mean he wasn't ready to escape at a moment's notice.

That said, the fact that she actually knocked and allowed him to answer the door rather than bursting in might mean she was not here for a fight.

It could also very well mean she had good manners to knock on the door to her enemy's room before killing him.

To his inquiry, Corrina shrugged,

"To put it simply, Curiosity" she said.

Hal, acting as relaxed as he possibly could, went over to the bed in the room and sat on it while he observed Corrina whose eyes roamed all about the room as though to uncover all of Hal's tricks.

"What are you curious about?" Hal asked her.

There was a brief pause before Corrina began,

"I can't see you"

Hal furrowed his brows,

"I am right here" he said.

Corrina shook her head,

"Not in that sense. I mean I can't 'see' you. Even when I focus on you, I can't foresee what you will do. I have found it difficult to see people at times. Even those who are weaker than me in cultivation. For them, I only get flashes. Flashes of possibilities which is usually enough to satisfy them in term of a consultation.

But you... It's all just... blank"

Another brief pause before Hal shrugged,

"Who knows why that is?" He said in a bid to be dismissive.

"YOU do" Corrina said in an eerie tone.

"I do?" Hal asked with skepticism coating his words.

Corrina nodded,

"Yes, you do. You mentioned a 'source' of our foreseeing ability and mentioned wanting to get close to it. To make contact with it. Which has me thinking you are somehow consciously protecting yourself... I wonder what you have to hide"

Hal opened his mouth to speak but Corrina interrupted him,

"Don't speak. You will most probably tell me lies anyway. Mother would have figured things out even before I did and if she let you go safely, you are either no threat to us at all, or you are not worth the trouble. It could very well be both though." She said.

"Is there a point to all this?" Hal asked with a bit of impatience in his tone.

Corrina's eyes flashed,

"Of course there's a point. Mother might not be ready to consider the possibility but I am."

"Consider what possibility?" Hal asked.

Corrina sighed,

"The possibility that you can help with our problems. The possibility that you can help defeat my father"