"Missed?" Ares shut his eyes and took in the faint, bloody scent that disappeared a few milliseconds later. "No, but not lethal..." His incredible ability to track the Zombie Matryoshka aside, there was no trace of brain matter in the scent he picked up so the chances of killing the zombie with one errant projectile was unfortunately low. It was a miracle he was able to even 'chase' the Zombie across a domain in the first place, and instilling the fear of God in it was an acceptable outcome, but he wished he could have taken it out of the picture here and now to prevent it from reappearing later down the line and being a nuisance. It was a shame he let the zombie escape but he originally hadn't even realised it had a means of getting out, hence why he didn't bother running after it initially, but was unable to reach it after he caught sight of the stairs with a hint of spatial magic that was obviously an escape route. Too little too late, his realisation was and so his prey had gotten away in the nick of time. Fortunately he manged to lock onto its scent and launch a follow up attack, almost surprising himself at his own ability to launch a cross-domain attack, but it was pointless in the end. The zombie could regenerate its lives if left alone for a long enough period so not taking all ten meant Ares had effectively wasted his time. He'd shown off in front of the core disciples, so that was worth something at least as none of them would be stupid enough to pick another fight with him, but Ares was more interested in finding out who the zombie's hidden backer was given their immense strength. It was clear to Ares the zombie had escaped back to its master's hideaway but that confirmed the Mass Exhumation had been launched form another planet. That level of strength was enough to put Ares on edge a little because it was no joke and not something he could just ignore. Thankfully he guessed correctly there were circumstances repenting this unknown necromancer from acting rashly but it didn't feel good knowing he was out there, biding his time in secret. For what it was worth, though Ares didn't know this, the necromancer's movements had raised quite a fuss so he was going to have to lie even lower than he was previously for a long time. It was his own fault and carelessness that led to this situation but what was done was done.
As for the sect, it was slowly returning to normal as the necromancer's zone faded. The walls surrounding the sect sunk into the floor, graves and tombstones turned to dust, and the eery night, and its leitmotif of ghastly chuckling and the cawing of nocturnal birds, vanished like smoke in the wind. Small bluish wisps were the last thing to fade and, when they were gone at long last, the spectators could be convinced the zone had been nothing more than a bad dream. Everything was as it was five minutes ago save for the still lingering undead that hadn't managed to make it into the various tombs and shelters before the magic was recalled. Ares was naturally not going to let these lot go so he transformed back into his humanoid form and flicked Shock Beads at the stumbling and groaning undead one by one. In hindsight, maybe he didn't have to be so reserved with his magic. Sure Grim Cessation didn't work but he'd forgotten about the raw efficiency of his Converter's mana regeneration capabilities. He wasn't used to having near infinite mana and hadn't made much use of it since acquiring it either so it slipped his mind. Still, Garmr was an easier solution to the problem at hand anyway, and it was one power he hadn't shown off to the core disciples yet anyway, so things worked out regardless. His main goal, of silencing opposition, had been achieved albeit in a rather roundabout way. The trespass of an expert cultivator, and summoning of an undead underworld inside the sect, was a rather unexpected detour but Ares had displayed his credentials as sect master such that it could no longer be argued against. He didn't throw an Armillary but that was an impossible problem to solve as he wasn't exactly keen on blowing up most of the sect with it. Unless he threw one directly into the sky, and only detonated it near the boundary between domains, it would have gotten everyone dragged into it. Armillary was still probably his strongest tool overall, getting hit by one was worse than getting hit by Garmr so that alone spoke volumes, but that made it hard to use in its own way.
Once the training ground was cleared of the undead swarm, the Training Field itself was turned off and the matter was settled. Jaffa had died at some point during the ordeal, and was eaten alive by a zombie in passing, but thankfully Ares' consideration during his rampage meant he hadn't broken down the Training Field so Jaffa was revived and safe... Though he had lost his trump card. It wasn't exactly his to begin with, and the necromancer would have taken it back by force at some point, so perhaps it was better this way? If the necromancer came into contact with Jaffa personally there was a good chance he would just get turned into a undead himself if he refused to hand over the Matryoshka. Though that didn't mean he was happy about this development as his own arsenal took a serious hit now that he lost the ace up his sleeve. Arguably he was an idiot for carrying around something he couldn't control but a lot of cultivators had a 'If I'm going down I'm taking you with me' mentality and there wasn't really anything wrong with it. It was annoying to fight these people but that the point. They were like skunks, not really worth attacking. Regardless, it was true Ares had left a dent in his top core disciple's strength, anomalies like Eagerton excluded, and he hadn't intended to. Maybe Ares would compensate him down the line as bait to keep him in the sect. It's not like having him or not having him was the end of the world or anything but there was no reason to let someone decently talented go. Julio was a good runemancer but he was more tailored towards inscriptions for weapons and stationary rune set ups like the Training Field. Having Jaffa around, and training him to become a respectable talisman creator, was probably worth it in the long run. Ares' Shock Beads were fantastic but if he could get some talismans on the market too then it would give the disciples some versatility in how they handled situations when they were out and about. From the perspective of a sect master, bearing a grudge with Jaffa, or letting him form a lasting one with Ares, was childish and didn't take into account the bigger picture. Ares sent Jaffa a mental message indicating he would compensate him and the latter, still stunned from everything that happened earlier, nodded with a dazed expression. It's not like Ares could blame him, everyone else was in a similar state. Well not the elders, they were already roughly aware of how abnormal Ares was as a cultivator so they were in the process of herding up the disciples and bringing them back to finish the ceremony.
Ares activated his Omniscience and looked around, searching fort he cafe terrace he left his family on back at the start of this hoopla. He caught sight of Enyo waving and could have sworn he heard her, from all the way over here, shouting 'that's my husband'. If nothing else, Ares could lip read something along those lines... Bellona seemed to be embarrassed and was trying to hold her sister down while saying something akin to 'he's mine too but stop embarrassing us!' Sandy wasn't getting involved. Rather, she was deeply invested in a tasty cream puff and some mint tea so the rest of the world didn't much matter to her right now. Ares smiled but shook his head and headed back over the stage to continue the ceremony. There wasn't much left to do to begin with but after the interruption it seemed everyone mutually agreed to speed things up and get to the point. Once the disciples had settled down and settled in Yulo handed Ares the iconic sect master robe and declared his abdication. Normally Ares would have worn the robe but this was skipped because things were already chugging along slower than they should have been and the elders were busy people with a lot of work on their hands. Ares stored the sect master robes and opted to give a quicker speech than a longer one lest Rud use that as an excuse to to deduct from his wages. Now that he was sect master he'd be given a monthly payment corresponding to his position and accomplishments there within... Though Rud was already trying to use the justification that Ares was already loaded and didn't need anymore stardust to trample on his salary. Plus whenever Arse went on an adventure he was at liberty to choose what he personally kept and what he handed over to the sect so Rud was merciless in suggesting that should account for a majority of his earnings. Though it was clearly silly Ares would allow it anyway because it's not like he was more desperate for money than the sect was. You could never have too much, sure, but he didn't want the sect to have too little. Especially not during the transition period form one sect master to another nor the period in which the sect would move to Vraizon. Ares was going above and beyond the call of duty by sacrificing his wages willingly but Rud wasn't wrong in saying Ares was fine without it.
Ahem
Ares projected his voice using pressure not because the effect was more drastic than using mana but because he wasn't great at the latter. He hadn't exactly done the former much either but he was the definitive pressure wielder not just of this generation, but throughout all of history after defeating Veteran, so it's not like he couldn't figure it out on the fly. This was a technique people would spend months learning, years if they wanted it to be a weapon or something truly impressive, and yet Arse could simply decide to do it on a whim. His ability spoke for itself and this was a good reminder that he was really at the top of the pressure hierarchy in spite of his relatively young age. "Alright, let's make this quick. I'm the richest, strongest, and most capable person in the sect. That's about it, I don't need any other credentials even though I probably have them too." Best blacksmith? Debatable but he was getting there thanks to his merging skills. Best runemancer? Julio had more experience but Ares had Omniscience which was like a cheat code. Best chef? Yes... But that was not relevant! Not that Ares wasn't proud of it though, that was one of his talents he actually developed from the ground up the hard way... And yet it was one that would be respected the least! Truly tragic... "I can't guarantee the sect will be normal going forward, things have a habit of getting whacky whenever I'm involved, so expect to see a lot of strange happenings from now on." Ares was going to be installing Tom Tom heads, the Anubis twins, the Scylla, and a few other bits and bobs so the disciples were jsut going to have to get used to it. It was all beneficial but it was undoubtable people would have questions about random sphinx heads showing up and offering them riddles in the middle of the night. "Also trouble tends to follow me wherever I go so don't expect an easy time of things either. Still, I aim to deal with most of it myself so you don't have to worry too much about that. That's about all the negatives wrapped up so now the positives. I'm unstoppable? I don't need to go into much detail, you've seen for yourself how true that statement is. I also have plenty of connections outside of these lower domains so in terms of networking I'm up there with literal Gods. Long story short, I have no idea what the future holds but it ought to be more promising than disappointing. It will also never be boring, I can guarantee that too. I'm an immortal revenant so this should mark the end of the need to find new sect masters. Put simply, you're stuck with me so, uh, just sit back and enjoy the ride I guess?"
Blank stares all around indicated Ares had been a bit too casual but, then again, nothing he said was incorrect. He'd condensed all the major talking points into a single stream of conscience and just went with it. Some might not be too happy with his phrasing, this ceremony was rushed but it was still a serious matter in various ways, but it was over with now and couldn't be undone. Ares' rashness and brashness was maybe part of his charm though so most decided to overlook it. If Ares' attitude was the only price the disciples had to pay for an undefeatable, at least in their eyes, sect master then so be it. Maybe it would come back to bite them in the ass when Ares had to represent them on larger scales but his power and connections might be able to make up for his personality for the most part. It was ok to be arrogant, blasé, and revenant-like so long as one had the power to avoid having to kneel. There were many who wouldn't tolerate disrespect in the wide world but it's not like they can enforce it against someone who isn't weaker than them, essentially is what it boiled down to. Ares could keep his attitude so long as he backed it up with his actions which, so far, had spoken for themselves. Ares was high risk, high reward and, in many ways, making him sect master was a massive gamble... Still, the disciples that were here knew that and trusted in his strength otherwise they would have left already or joined the core disciples in their earlier lobbying. Ares, outwardly, didn't look particularly trustworthy but he had multiple thousands of people following him now so his efforts in matters until now had paid off. It was hard to believe the little rabble rousing street bandit had come this far, doubly true for those who knew him, but it was impossible to deny it when he stood so confidently up on the stage.
Since the matter was settled, the disciples were led out of the area and returned to their respective courts. It was a nice chance for them to explore the inner areas of the sect but if they wanted to stay here permanently that would require them getting off their rears and cultivating properly... Though Ares was going to make use of the flame tanks from the Federation at some point so rising up to the core court would be harder than ever... On that note, Ares wasn't sure whether he should chance the entrance exam and the test for the inner court too. He was considering it but didn't have any good ideas right now and so put it to the back of his mind temporarily. He wasn't giving up on it though, not by along shot. A sect of impeccable elites, that was what Ares wanted to turn this place into. If he had to make the disciple's lives a little harder, and make them train more, then so be it. If the outer court disciples weren't stronger than another sect's core disciples then they weren't at the point Ares wanted to be at yet. This would require plenty of resources and rigorous training but there was plenty of time for all of that in the future and Ares would make sure it happened one way or another. A promise is a promise and Ares promised those who remained great things. Of course that didn't mean they were being given a free ride, they had to work for their own opportunities to some degree, but it was still better than what anyone who wasn't in the sect could ever hope for.
Ares left the stage and headed over to Yulo who was signalling to him. "Seems like it's all been wrapped up now?"
With a nod, Yulo agreed. "Yeah, that about settles it. It doesn't really feel like you've become a sect master though right? That's how I felt last time when all was said and done... Though people like you and me don't hold the position in much regard anyway so perhaps we're oddballs. I'm sure someone like Rud or Teng would think this is the greatest day of their life if they were in our shoes."
"Pft, Teng sure. I think Rud would power trip immediately though." Ares snickered as he imagined dictator Rud. It wasn't much different from regular Rud except for the fact that people actually had to listen to him now. That old coot couldn't possibly be happier but it was for all the wrong reasons!
"... I can't deny that." Yulo wore a wry smile as the same imagery flashed through his own brain. Rud wouldn't be a bad sect leader, not at all, but he wouldn't be much liked for a multitude of reasons regarding his stuffiness. You'd think Mr Rule-adherent Teng himself would be more authoritarian but both Ares and Yulo would place bets on Rud outdoing him somehow. "Anyway, before I fade into the background, let me at least show you the sect master's residence."
"Ah thanks. But speaking of, do you know when you'll be heading out? Have you decided?"
"Can't wait to get rid of me huh?"
Ares scratched his head. "Don't take it personally. It's Enyo I don't trust, not you." Enyo utilised Yulo's prophecies to force a harem upon Ares. God only knows what other shenanigans she would pull if left to her own devices with the power to see parts of the future. It's not like the harem was a bad thing, Ares had come to terms with it already and was having fun, but it was probably better to restrict Enyo's power lest she go crazy with it. Yulo was just the messenger but, with tears in his eyes, Ares would shoot him.
"I can see that being a problem for you, yes. Well I'll be gone by the of the week, no later. Not sure on the day specifically but I intend to sneak out and go before anyone realises it. If I mention I'm leaving the elders will want to make a big deal out of it and get me drunk."
"They're quite attached huh?"
Yulo shrugged. "It's nothing I personally did. If you have an abusive ex, and the next boyfriend is even half decent, it makes a world of difference in terms of how two people are viewed right?"
"A weird way of putting it but now I'm more concerned about the previous sect master's behaviour. Seriously, what kinda guy is he? Better yet, is it ok to even keep him in this sect!?" Yulo wasn't a bad sect leader but he wasn't perfect. His strength as a cultivator did not translate to running the sect particularly smoothly and most of his success was owed to Rud's hard work behind the scenes. Even still, he was seen as a Godsend compared to the previous sect master so hearing such a thing naturally raised questions in Ares' mind about this individual he'd yet to meet.
"Aha... Well... The previous sect master was competent, don't get me wrong he was better than me when it came to organising this place, but he was... Off putting? Annoying?"
"Now it just sounds like you're describing me."
"Wow, self reflection? I'm impressed." Yulo smiled but shook his head. "No, the previous sect master was annoying for different reasons. Far less tolerable than your well intentioned playfulness. Put it this way, even Rud would honestly admit hie prefers you than dealing with the old sect master."
"That bad?!"
"What can I say? At the very least, the disciples who were already here when that sect master was in charge will think of anyone but him in a very positive light."
"No, really, shouldn't we kick him out then?" Ares didn't know anything about this guy, Yulo was being strangely evasive, but he definitely sounded like trouble with a capital 'T'.
"I get where you're coming from but no. He is still loyal to the sect, and he hasn't done anything illegal... I guess it's more accurate to say his quirk is disturbing and he is particularly persistent about it? He can be stopped, and is pretty obedient when faced with the wrath of the elders, but you often have to beat him up a bit to get the point across... He's the blood related uncle at the family gathering nobody respects?"
"I see..." There wasn't much Ares could say in response to this. Rather, it sounded like a problem he didn't want to have to deal with... Maybe finding that resource back in Xasca, the one that extended the old geezer's life, should have been left well enough alone...