SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows-Chapter 228: The Ten Royal Families

Aren sat across from Aoi in her office. She sat down with both elbows on the table and the back of her wrist resting under her head. She stared at Aren, who had a very impatient look on his face.

"Calm down, she isn’t dead or going to be hurt, that I can say," Aoi said.

"Then what do they want with her?" Aren asked her.

"Well you see, this isn’t something that I can necessarily tell you, it’s an issue for me. I am a Blade after all, and this is my family that we are talking about. Telling you in depth secrets would be considered betraying the family, and that would mean my immediate execution," Aoi explained.

Aren was stunned. He looked at her with shock. "Execution? Just for giving out some information? Your family can’t be that brutal, can it?" Aren asked.

"You would be shocked. Don’t forget, my family is a Royal Family, one of the very families that kept the structure of humanity in the trials.

Do you even know all ten families?" Aoi asked.

"No, I’ve only heard of your family," Aren said.

"Well, I’m guessing that’s because you came to War God City. My family has a lot of footing here, but it’s not the only Royal Family that’s here.

The ten Royal Families are Silver, Trueblood, Grey, Graham, StormGrave, Ironclaw, Shadow, BloodClaw, Blade, and the most mysterious and powerful Grim family."

After she finished, she leaned back into the chair and then folded her hands. "Each of these families is a powerhouse like mine, and it has been that way ever since the start.

The Blade family, my family, is also one of the more unique families, as it is believed that without our Patriarch, we are capable of taking on the Grim family. The Grim family was the first Royal Family, and they possess the greatest Divine blessing, but that comes at a cost."

"What cost?" Aren asked.

"The cost is that they hold all other families accountable, they are basically the police of the entire Royal Family system. But all that aside, let’s get into my family.

My family holds a lot of secrets, so there is a lot that I can’t tell you, for your and my safety," she explained.

"You don’t need to worry about my safety. Also, I already know the location of your family town, I just want the best way to head there. You don’t have to tell me anything else," Aren stated.

Aoi frowned when she heard that. "You know the location huh, but do you know what it takes to get into the town? There is a massive forest around my family town, and let’s just say, it’s a death forest. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

If you try to pass through that forest, you’ll be lost inside forever, fighting to find your way out, while at the same time facing terrifying monsters. If their strength doesn’t kill you, the exhaustion will get to you.

You can’t get over the forest by flying. The skies above have a monster that could easily rival beings from level eighty to one hundred, and even when that’s taken care of, you’ll still face several air attacks that might be more lethal than that of the forest.

There is no going under, and there is no teleportation, each route has been covered. There are only two routes in. The first route is simply being a member of the family. If you have permission, the forest would grant you the right path.

As for the second way, it’s extremely risky and probably won’t work if you aren’t lucky. I’d advise you not to even take it," Aoi said.

"Tell me about it," Aren said immediately.

Aoi let out a deep sigh and slowly shook her head. "Well, the reason you can never escape the forest is because inside there is a being known as a Druid, a race that can only be found inside the domain, and they control nature.

This particular Druid made a deal with my family hundreds and hundreds of years ago. She is the one that controls that forest. The only way to get through is by finding her, and the only way to find her is by opening your heart and allowing her to see your purest desires. If it is too filthy, she’ll immediately close the forest on you and let you die.

But, and that’s a very large but, if your intentions are pure and your heart is in the right place, she’ll open it to you, allowing you to pass right through. Honestly, it’s a heavy gamble, and even members of my family can’t use that route," Aoi explained.

’Purity of heart huh? I doubt my heart is pure, but I still have to go and try. Athena is there waiting for me,’ Aren thought. He wasn’t going to back out at all, he was going all in.

"I’ll go, nothing changes my mind. I understand that you can’t tell me why your family wants her and other things, and I’ll not force you to do that. The fact that you left me alive even when I’m planning to head there is already a lot.

But please, if there is anything that you can say that will help me at all, please tell me," Aren said, pleading with her.

"Sigh, fine fine kid, I’ll tell you this. When you enter the town, your life is already on the line, so keep watch and absolutely trust no one, no matter who they are or what they say.

The family might be divided amongst themselves, but they are together when facing a common enemy."

After hearing that, Aren got up on his feet. "Thank you," he said and then headed for the door.

"What about your other friends?" she asked.

"I can’t take them with me, sadly. So I’ll have to bother you again. Please, if you can, tell them where I went and tell them not to come for me," he said.

"I’ll do that. Oh and one more thing, the Royal Family is capable of stopping an awakened from entering the trial, so you have to save Athena, your friend, before the trials, else you’ll enter and she’ll be outside, and then you can’t save her."