Chapter 159: The Scent Of Death
Adonis took his seat and crossed his legs in a regal manner. He was not intimidated by the strong and intimidating build of the Beast King in the slightest.
"And you are the Beast King, who loves conquering as if gathering mere trophies?" he asked Leonadis, "Why the sudden visit to our humble kingdom, and with so many ornaments and jewelry?"
The Beast King took a seat without asking for permission. His golden hair fell over his shoulders as he leaned on his knees, studying Adonis with curiosity. Hearing Adonis’s words, Beast King Leonidas smiled, feral and wild.
"You are just as the rumors say, Dragon King. Strong and bold, I like that. Please accept my apologies for the sudden intrusion."
Adonis signaled with his hands for him to continue. "Apologies accepted. You may speak your real purpose."
Leona’s massive chest swayed as she moved slightly, her gaze entranced by Adonis’s bravery and chaotic aura.
Leonidas coughed once, softening his tone. "It is like this, Dragon King. For decades, the humans have brought us to the brink of extinction. We became their food, their hunting grounds, and resources for them to level up. They have no morals, no compassion toward our race. That is the sad truth. I am not sure if you would like to hear what I am telling you."
"Speak!" Adonis said bluntly, undeterred.
"The human kingdoms are already plotting against you. There are no allies for dragons on this continent. But we are willing to be one, as our origin is somewhat related to the dragons. We consider them part of our ancestry. So, I think a strategic alliance would be good for both of us. And—"
His gaze turned to his daughter, Leona.
"We are willing to betroth our precious daughter to you as a concubine to make this alliance significantly strong."
Adonis contemplated the proposal silently as his gaze turned toward Leona’s busty beauty.
Her breasts were plump and full, far larger than Claudia’s. Her hips and rear were the most remarkable things about her; they seemed built specifically for breeding offspring. Any man would have been aroused by simply observing her.
But something felt off. His lower half refused to budge an inch from its original position, as if he were looking at a clay doll instead of a real human being. Something was very wrong. The more he looked at her, the more abnormal the situation became.
He immediately snapped his fingers.
SNAP!
The snap was not light. On the contrary, it was so loud and fast that it broke the sound barrier. Instantly, a wave of pure annihilation energy spread through the guest hall. Fortunately, Adonis was the only high-level being present; any lower-level creature would have been turned to ashes.
Naturally, this snap of chaos revealed something ugly that this world was trying to hide. As soon as the chaos energy struck Leonidas and Leona, their skin burned and their flesh peeled away as if they had been struck by an atomic bomb.
What it revealed was horrifying.
In place of their royal forms stood two dark skeletons—still alive, and still breathing.
"H-how did you find out?" the male dark skeleton asked, trembling.
"This should be impossible!" the female one shrieked in despair.
Adonis smirked as if enjoying their misery. "It was just a hunch, but I never thought it would actually be true."
"You have ten seconds to explain why two walking corpses are wearing the skin of the Beast King. If you lie, I won’t just kill you. I will erase your souls from the cycle of reincarnation. You will simply cease to exist."
The male skeleton’s jaw bone rattled as he tried to speak. "Please! We were only messengers! We were sent to test the waters!"
"Test the waters for what?" Adonis scoffed as a flicker of black flame dancing on his fingertips. "Where is the real Leonidas?"
"He is... he is not of your concern yet," the female skeleton shrieked, "We come from the Forbidden Kingdom. We come from the Necro-Lands!"
The name hung in the air like a cold mist.
Before Adonis could press further, the heavy doors of the hall burst open. Sapphira stepped inside, her silver hair shimmering with static electricity. She took one look at the scorched, skeletal figures and her expression turned grim.
"The Necro-Lands," she repeated, her voice laced with ancient dread. "The Cursed Realm. Adonis, do not let them touch you. Their very existence is an affront to the living."
"You know this place?" Adonis asked, not taking his eyes off the intruders.
"Every dragon knows it in their blood," Sapphira replied, walking to his side. "It is the graveyard of the world. It is the exact location where the Last Gods, Ascalon and Emperion, fought their final battle. The sheer amount of divine blood spilled there corrupted the soil, turning the entire kingdom into a wasteland of eternal undeath. Nothing grows there. Nothing dies there."
Adonis turned his gaze back to the male skeleton. "Why me? Why come all this way to play dress-up and offer me a fake bride?"
"The Master saw the light," the skeleton rasped, its voice growing weaker. "The death of the Sky Serpent King sent a ripple through the world. A new King has risen... a King of Chaos. The Master wishes to know if you are the key to the Seal."
"What seal?" Adonis asked, stepping off his throne and approaching them.
"The seal that keeps the Gods away," the female skeleton hissed. "The seal that keeps us trapped in the dark. You have the scent of the Creator on you, human. You have the scent of the one who wrote the end."
Adonis froze. The mention of his origin as a writer hit him harder than any physical blow.
Did these undead things know he wasn’t from this world?
"Who is your Master?" Adonis grabbed the male skeleton by the cervical vertebrae, lifting him off the ground. "Answer me!"
"He is the one who waits," the skeleton whispered. "He is the Lich of the Blood Moon. And he is coming for—"
Suddenly, both skeletons stiffened. Their green soul-fires expanded violently, then turned a sickly shade of gray.
Dong-Dong, dong
The sound of of ancient bell hit by a hammer rang through the hall, though there was no bell to be seen.
"No! Not yet! Master, mercy!" the female screamed.
"Someone is cutting their lifelines," Sapphira shouted, reaching for her husband. "Adonis, get back!"
Before he could react, the bones in his hand turned to fine white powder.
Pufff, Pufff.
Both skeletons collapsed, their structures disintegrating into ash in a matter of seconds.
An unknown force from thousands of miles away had simply reached out and plucked the string of their existence.
"They’re gone," Adonis said, looking at the pile of dust on the floor. "Completely erased."
"They were just puppets,husband. Someone in the Necro-Lands was using them as a bridge to see you. To speak to you."
Adonis looked at the empty space where the "Princess" had stood. The illusion of her beauty was gone, replaced by the lingering scent of rot and old magic.
"The Lich of the Blood Moon," Adonis murmured, his mind racing. "He mentioned the God seal. And he mentioned Ascalon and Emperion."
"Husband, If the Necro-Lands are moving, the human kingdoms are the least of our worries," Sapphira warned. "That place is a void that consumes everything it touches."
Adonis wiped the bone dust from his hand, his expression cold. "Then we need to change the plan. I won’t wait for them to come to me. If this Lich wants to play with death, I’ll show him what happens when Chaos meets the dead."