Legendary Architect of Apocalypse

"Why do you think it is missing life?"

The Painter was truly intrigued by that answer. He had asked this question of many people, on many different occasions. But this was the first time he had received such a response.

After all, life was the one thing his paintings weren't missing. In every painting, he had captured at least one living being. How could his paintings be missing life?

Elias gazed at the Sylphs in the painting. Even though he didn't know where the painter had found them, all of his paintings were alive. This was something he had already noticed in all the paintings he had encountered.

Even in the painting called "Lost Hope," many might have thought the subject was the mother that was punished with death, while her son sat beside her. But the actual subject was the baby instead.

"Do you know what life is?" he asked the Painter out of nowhere. His question made the Painter frown.

"Life is much more than mere existence." Before the painter could say anything, Elias continued, "Just because you are breathing, does it mean you have life?"

"What is life, then?" the Painter asked after a long silence. He had never considered this question before. Wasn't life simply what kept people alive? Was it really as complicated as this boy made it out to be?

The more he thought about Elias's question, the more he felt ignorant about life's true meaning. Was this what was lacking in his understanding? But what was life? What was he lacking?

"Life is..." Elias began, and the Painter listened intently. But after uttering only two words, he stopped.

"Why did you stop? Tell me what life is!" The old man could barely conceal his impatience. He yearned to know the secret of life, regardless of its source.

"Why should I tell you?" Elias asked lazily, his words causing the Painter to stare at him in disbelief.

Was this boy serious? So many people at the Academy wanted to gain his favor, yet this boy acted as if he didn't care at all.

"Boy, do you not know who I am?" He glared at Elias, barely able to contain his astonishment.

"You are the famous Painter of the Dimensional Academy that can entrap anyone in his paintings. I think I know some things about you," Elias answered without even the slightest of hesitation.

At the moment, he had an advantage. He could see that the Painter had truly fallen for his trap. His curiosity got the best of him.

Even if he was one of the most dangerous existences in the academy, he could be controlled with the right cards at hand. Painter had given him this opportunity by asking him about the things that his paintings were missing, and Elias didn't want to lose this opportunity.

"If you know about me, then shouldn't you answer me? Do you want to be trapped in my paintings forever, suffering for an eternity until you're willing to answer?" The Painter asked, as he moved his brush, almost touching the canvas.

Just as little movement, and he could trap Elias forever, making him regret ever doing something like this.

Elias also knew that it was the most important part of this entire scheme and he couldn't show even the slightest of fear before the Painter. If he stepped back here, then he was going to lose all his advantage.

It was a godly opportunity for him, and he had to take advantage of it before the others found Painter, and told him about the things about him knowing his secret.

"You can entrap me in your painting for sure. And I won't resist. After all, my family will get me out soon enough," Elias answered in a carefree manner as he stepped forward.

He held the Painter's wrist, and moved his hand forward, to make his brush touch the canvas.

The Painter looked at him in silence, wondering why this boy was so confident that his family could save him? Just which family was he from? There were only a few families that were capable of making him hesitate, after all.

"Which family are you from, to have such arrogance?" he asked Elias.

Elias brought out an Insignia from his pocket, showing it to the Painter, who subconsciously moved his brush back from the canvas.

There were very few families that could make him hesitate, and this insignia that had a symbol of a snake devouring its own tail, was one of the most well known families amongst them.

"Ashborns..." he mumbled, finally realizing why this boy had such confidence. The Ashborn Family was like the nobility of the Dimensional Academy after all.

Not only was his father the Patriarch of the Ashborn Family, which was one of the founding families, but he also had a brother who worked as a Professor at the Academy.

Elias had already realized that most people at the Academy didn't know that his family didn't care about him, which allowed him to use their names without worries of getting caught.

"Just because you are from the Ashborn Family, do you think I can't kill you? If you don't answer me, then I can just kill you right here. Do you not care about your life?" the old man asked, his tone growing colder.

"Not as much as you might care about yours," Elias answered. He was once again gambling, believing that the man wasn't going to kill him, as he was never going to get the answer that he was looking for.

He also had to worry about the wrath of the Ashborn Family. He didn't have a good enough reason to take such a risk, which was exactly why Elias did it before the man received the reason, like his secret being exposed.

For quite some time, the Painter looked at Elias who didn't show even the slightest of fear. It was as if he was truly prepared for death.

"It will be a cold day in hell when an Ashborn gives up!" He let out a tired sigh, before asking him, "What do you want from me in exchange for that answer?"