The World Serpent

The World of Exterreri, a vast and gigantic world outside the Realm of Piksyon. Unlike other worlds, which consist of land and ocean. Exterreri only had the flying continents and the void below it. A cruel and cold world where only the strongest could thrive. There was no such as society in such a world. Only power and intelligence. This makes them natural conquerers resulting in the invasion of the worlds around them.

The Clan of Noir, an ancient clan within the World of Exterreri. It has fallen from its peak, and many other clans within the World of Exterreri knew it. Sooner or later, they will get devoured like everyone else who had fallen from their zenith. Even the allies they had helped had turned their backs on them. Such was the truth, the moment they became weak. They were abandoned. 

In the Clan of Noir dwelled the creatures known as Umbra, a formless being that can pass through anything with darkness. They had no strong power though they did have various utilities of their unique physique. Utilities can be information gathering, assassination, and many more. But due to the fact that the ancient clans had set their sights on the worlds outside Exterreri. The services of the Clan of Noir were no longer needed resulting in such a fallen state. 

Within the clan hall of Noir, numerous shadowy figures gathered together, with a dark and cold figure sitting on a black throne. They were having a small meeting, and it was about the fate of their declining clan. The opinion was separated into not touching the other worlds or also invading them. The Clan of Noir had a decree written by its ancestor to not touch the Worlds outside. This was why, even though it was declining. They still hadn't invaded the Worlds around them. 

"Father, I believe that we should conquer the Worlds around us. Look at the remaining ancient clans. They are growing at an unprecedented rate from the things they conquered outside Exterreri. We should follow them and take resources from the outside. Or else we would fall and become a fallen ancient clan. Other bastards will try to devour us the moment that time comes."

A serious and seductive voice echoed as a shadowy figure spoke to the dark figure sitting on the throne. The dark figure didn't have any reaction upon hearing the words of his youngest daughter. He turned his head towards the oldest daughter and wanted to hear her opinion about the matter.

The oldest daughter nodded and spoke with a calm and serene voice. 

"I believe that the clan is falling, and its only hope comes from the worlds outside. Without the foreign worlds, we will fall like many other ancient clans. This is a cold world, we live in a dark reality." The words of the eldest daughter echoed within the clan hall. The shadowy figures around it nodded in understanding. 

The youngest daughter smirked upon hearing the words of the eldest daughter. But later on, she lost her smirk. The eldest daughter continued her words and wanted to say what she thought of the subject. 

"The eternal decree has existed since the beginning of the Clan of Noir. It was written by the Progenitor of Umbra. There must be a reason why our Progenitor wrote it. The fact that he didn't want the Clan of Noir to conquer foreign worlds must have a meaning. And, I believe that patience will make the meaning reveal itself." 

"Zella!!!" The youngest daughter shouted as she didn't want her older sister to continue. But it didn't work, her older sister continued speaking and gave reasons on why the Clan of Noir shouldn't try to conquer the foreign worlds. It was a detailed reason for recent discoveries.

"I believe in the Progenitor's wisdom. He must have thought about the future while writing the eternal decree. According to recent discoveries, ancient ruins have been found all over the foreign worlds, conquered by the ancient clans. No one knows of their origins, but one would say that before us. There were civilizations thriving by conquering worlds."

"But what happened to them? From our discoveries, it appears that all worlds conquered by the ancient clans had archaic ruins all over them. They must have been powerful, a lot stronger than the ancient clans. So what happened to them? Where did they go?"

"Some would argue that they have gone further beyond and abandoned the things they had built. But what if that wasn't the case? What if something made them disappear for conquering the foreign worlds? Not only that but there may be worlds that would rival the World of Exterreri. If they are stronger than us, they would invade our world as revenge for trying to touch their world. It would be the end of us all if we aren't careful enough."

"The problem with the ancient clans is their arrogance on thinking that they could trample on any foreign worlds. They even dismiss the existence of a race stronger than the species within the World of Exterreri. They won't face the truth and slow down their speed of conquering. They ignore it and continue their arrogance."

The eldest daughter stopped speaking as the dark figure sitting on the throne nodded in understanding. What his eldest daughter said was understandable. Sooner or later, a powerful race would fight against the ancient clans. If the powerful race was much stronger than the ancient clans combined, the flying continents would fall into the void. 

"And what if it is not? What if there weren't any powerful civilizations that could fight us? Zella, we are losing the opportunity to reclaim our former glory. If we continued being passive, we would fall." The youngest daughter said as the eldest daughter sighed and replied. 

"We can grow without conquering foreign worlds, Keres. There are many ways of growing with influencing the foreign worlds or conquering them. Conquering the foreign worlds might look like a shortcut, but it might also be a trap. I believe that we shouldn't try to conquer the foreign worlds without knowing more about them."

"Are you trying to defy me, Zella? The future lord of the Clan of Noir?" Keres said with a serious tone as if trying to warn her older sister. But Zella wasn't someone or something that Keres could push around with some future title. Zella replied after hearing the words of Keres.

"You are becoming arrogant, Keres. Just because I don't want to be the lord of Noir doesn't mean that you can throw your weight around towards me. Have you forgotten who I am? Do you think I am a coward? Someone stronger than you and anyone here? Your arrogance knows no end. You are becoming like the ancient clan members. It must have been because you always have a long meeting with them."

"I am quite disappointed at the current situation. I originally thought that I could be reassured when I surrender the seat of the lord to you. But judging from your recent and current actions, you are already throwing your weight around knowing that you would be the future lord." 

"Arrogance is extremely dangerous. It is a poisonous weapon that is the extreme version of confidence. A beating might be required to make you remember who you are as an Umbra." Zella said with a serious voice as she started clenching her fist. The pressure around her became stronger and stronger as the area around her got heavier. 

"Halt... I don't want a fight to start in the clan hall. Keres, Go back to your room and think about the words of your older sister. As the future lord, you must know the implications of what you're trying to propose." The dark figure on the throne said with a calm voice. 

Keres gritted her teeth upon hearing such words and walked heavily towards the exit of the clan hall. The current lord sighed in disappointment after seeing the future lord acting childish. It would have been better if his eldest daughter didn't give up the seat. There was nothing he could do about it as it was the choice of his eldest daughter. 

"It appears that we have been too lenient to her, Father. I think that we should try teaching her about how to become a proper lord of an ancient clan. If she really becomes a lord, our downfall wouldn't happen because of the outside but from within instead." Zella said with a calm voice. The lord of Noir nodded in agreement after hearing the words of Zella. 

"I agree... The future heirs of the ancient clans are a bad influence on her. We should stop her from leaving the clan and teach her here until she becomes a proper lord. There is another way of making her see how wrongs she was but the clan of Noir doesn't have the resources to cover the cost of such a realization."

Silence enveloped the clan hall of Noir until three figures revealed themselves at the entrance of the hall. Zella raised an eyebrow while the dark figure sitting on the throne furrowed his eyebrow. He couldn't sense them appearing on the entrance, which could only mean one thing. 

"Who are you?" Zella questioned with a stern voice. A pressure then enveloped everything and everyone in the clan hall. It was at that moment the three mythical daemons revealed themselves. Zella felt the pressure stronger than anyone she had met other than her father and the ancient clan lords. 

"We are visitors from a random and simple world."