Episode 468
A sinister red aura slithered out from the mandala, coiling around Morgant’s legs like a serpent. An unsettling feeling crept over him.
“This doesn’t feel like a contract ritual at all.”
Morgant glanced up at Titus, who was chanting with a serious expression. Though he couldn’t logically explain it, his demonic instincts screamed a warning.
Deciding his own safety was more important than the souls of the Three-Eyed Clan, Morgant leapt towards the edge of the mandala.
Crack!
But an invisible barrier repelled him, preventing his escape. Furious, he glared at Titus.
“You lowly worm, how dare you!”
A fierce green aura erupted from Morgant, surging outward to break through the unseen walls of the mandala.
Hiss—
Yet the red aura from the mandala neutralized his energy. Morgant was taken aback, unable to believe a mere mortal could counter demonic techniques. He drew his sword in anger.
“I’ll skin you alive and rip out your soul myself!”
He charged at Titus, sword raised, but Titus remained focused on maintaining the mandala, chanting steadily.
Just as Morgant’s blade seemed poised to pierce Titus’s heart, chains of light shot up from the ground.
Clang!
Morgant was ensnared by Solomon’s chains, immobilized. Bound tightly, he shouted at Titus.
“Release me, you scoundrel! Or you’ll suffer eternal torment beyond death!”
Hiss—
As he bellowed, a dark mist rose from the ground, coalescing into a human form. Morgant’s expression hardened as he recognized the figure.
“You… who are you?”
Emerging from the shadows was Zeke Draker. He looked at Morgant and spoke.
“Eternal torment, you say. Have you ever truly experienced such pain?”
Morgant realized he’d been deceived by Zeke from the start, unwittingly leading his greatest enemy into the secure zone.
“You coward! You call yourself a knight? Face me honorably!”
Zeke chuckled at Morgant’s outburst.
“Honor, coming from a demon? That’s rich. You were planning to deceive Titus and devour the precious souls of the Three-Eyed Clan yourself.”
Zeke had already seen through Morgant’s intentions. Approaching him, Zeke added,
“And do you really think you could defeat me in a fair fight?”
Zeke unleashed his aura, overwhelming Morgant with his sheer presence.
Rumble—
Morgant was shocked by the power Zeke had concealed.
“How could a mere human possess such strength…?”
While Morgant was reeling, shadows flickered behind Zeke. He drew Levatein and aimed it at Morgant.
“You’re not even worth sealing. Disappear quietly.”
Swish—
Levatein sliced through Morgant’s neck. His body fell into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
Zeke sheathed his sword and turned to Titus and Yulina.
“Well done, both of you. Thanks to you, we got in unnoticed.”
Titus and Yulina blushed slightly at Zeke’s praise. With Morgant easily dispatched, Zeke stepped out of the mandala and approached the energy device.
Inside a massive glass chamber, a swirling mass of violet energy continuously supplied power. Zeke was curious about the source of this stable energy.
“What could they be using to maintain such a steady flow of power?”
He examined the control panel, using his dragon’s wisdom and clairvoyance to decipher its operation. Gradually, he reduced the energy output.
As the violet mass inside the chamber dwindled, Zeke was taken aback by what he saw.
“A child?”
Inside the chamber was a young child with violet hair.
“How annoying.”
Nigel found the control devices on her wrist and neck incredibly irritating. But in this place, even a slight misuse of her power could send her straight to the afterlife, so she had no choice.
She glanced at the massive slab of meat before her, then set down her knife and fork. A melodious voice chimed from across the table.
“Oh my, not eating? Is it not to your taste? Shall I have the chef executed?”
Despite the beautiful voice, the words were chilling. Nigel looked at the being seated opposite her.
Golden hair, alabaster skin, a luxurious dress—she appeared every bit the noble lady. Except for the two horns protruding from her forehead.
“Shall I have them bring you something other than lizard meat?”
Nigel, her face full of irritation, addressed the demon before her.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The demon smiled and replied.
“Ah. Na. Sta. Sha. My name is Anastasia.”
Nigel gritted her teeth at Anastasia’s words.
“Do you really think this will make me strike a deal with the Demon Lord?”
“Nigel, come now. I just want to get to know you better. The deal with my master is none of my concern. I’m merely the messenger.”
The noble-looking figure before Nigel was none other than an avatar of one of the six Demon Lords, a high-ranking demon with power surpassing most.
Nigel found Anastasia’s words absurd.
“A demon wanting to befriend a Highlander? That’s a first.”
Anastasia shook her head.
“No, really. Think about it. We don’t have much reason to fight the Highlanders.”
Nigel’s eyebrow twitched at that.
“What nonsense is this?”
Anastasia set down her utensils and picked up a wine glass, savoring its aroma as she spoke.
“Highlanders aim to maintain the balance of the mortal realm, right?”
Nigel remained silent, not that Anastasia expected an answer. She took a sip of wine, smiling contentedly, then continued.
“Wine from the mortal realm is far superior. It’s hard to grow quality grapes in the demon realm. Did I ever tell you about the time I demanded rare wine as a contract term? Oh, what was I saying?”
Nigel glared at Anastasia, exasperated. From their first meeting, this demon had always been like this—seemingly scatterbrained, yet dropping crucial insights at key moments.
Anastasia pondered for a moment, then looked back at Nigel.
“Ah, yes. We were discussing balance. Sorry, my mind’s been slipping lately. Must be the age.”
“Just get to the point. Unless you’re testing my patience.”
She set down her glass and spoke.
“We also seek to restore balance to the mortal realm.”
Nigel scoffed.
“By wiping out all mortals and creating a new world? That’s the madman’s delusion.”
“No, no. Nothing so barbaric. Think about it, Nigel. This world was flawed from the start.”
Nigel’s expression darkened as she glared at Anastasia.
“Because of your damned demons and their infernal masters. If you keep spouting nonsense, get lost.”
“Impatient as ever. Consider this, Nigel. The primordial light that created this world repeatedly destroyed and recreated civilizations to craft a world to its liking. Were the lives lost in those cycles less valuable than those of the current realm?”
Nigel was momentarily speechless. Anastasia continued with a smile.
“The celestial beings rebelled against the primordial light’s ruthless destruction. Their revolt succeeded, and the primordial light vanished. Only then did the civilizations of the mortal realm endure and continue their history.”
Nigel countered Anastasia’s narrative.
“You lot are trying to mess with the history of the Phenomenal World again.”
Anastasia shook her head in response.
“That’s not true, Nigel. Both I and the Demon Lord have pondered over this for a long time. Is the current state of the Phenomenal World truly functioning as it should? Our conclusion is that it isn’t.”
“That’s the arrogance of your demon realm. The very idea of controlling the Phenomenal World based solely on your decisions is fundamentally flawed.”
Anastasia chuckled softly.
“Seems like you’ve got a lot of grievances against us, Nigel. But that’s okay. I like you.”
She set her wine glass down and snapped her fingers.
A screen appeared in mid-air, displaying countless scenes.
All of them featured ‘humans.’
“Take a look, Nigel. What do you see here?”
Nigel remained silent.
Anastasia continued, her gaze fixed on the screen.
“Humans, humans, humans. This Phenomenal World is filled with nothing but humans. Since when did this land belong solely to them?”
Her expression turned cold, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor.
Pointing at Nigel, Anastasia said, “You, of all people, should understand. You’re a survivor of a race wiped out by ‘humans.’”
Nigel’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Don’t talk nonsense. I was cast out by the Unicorn Clan and survived on my own. Their extinction was their own doing.”
“Is that so? Do you really believe that?”
With a wave of her hand, another screen appeared.
To Nigel’s surprise, it showed the Unicorn Clan’s village.
His eyes flickered with emotion at the sight he hadn’t seen in ages.
Anastasia spoke again, “The Unicorn Clan isn’t entirely gone. The survivors live beyond the Ten Thousand Year Mountain Range in the harsh, barren lands of the Eastern Continent.”
Nigel was taken aback by the revelation that his clan wasn’t extinct.
But that was all.
Having transcended his race, the news of his kin didn’t stir much within him.
Anastasia looked at Nigel and said, “Nigel, it’s because of humans that they ended up like this. Humans invaded their village, forcing them into such desolate lands…”
Crackle—
Suddenly, Nigel’s body, seated across from Anastasia, began to flicker and gradually fade away.
Anastasia clicked her tongue at the sight.
With a resigned expression, she stood up and snapped her fingers.
Vroom—
In an instant, the surroundings transformed.
The opulent parlor vanished, replaced by the dark, stark landscape of a stone structure.
Anastasia, too, changed from a noble lady’s attire to a form-fitting leather outfit, her silver hair gleaming.
She gazed coldly at Nigel, lying in a stone coffin, and said, “Even using his kin didn’t work. The Guardian’s defenses are indeed formidable.”
She had been trying to penetrate Nigel’s mind to break the seal of the Black Star. She glanced at the list floating in the air, filled with keywords meant to provoke Nigel’s psyche.
“Hmm, I’ve tried almost everything. Next up…”
Anastasia’s eyes gleamed with sudden inspiration.
“Zeke Draker. The descendant of the Dragonslayer and her only human disciple.”
Murmuring to herself, Anastasia lowered her gaze and gently caressed Nigel’s cheek.
“Alright, Nigel, let’s see if this time we can dream a better dream.”