Chapter 436: The Recognized King
Crossing through the barrier of red mist into the Middle Zone, the situation changed. The landscape was no longer desolate.
The fog gave way to chaos: mist beings with humanoid shapes fought against skeletons clad in armor forged from shadows.
Atop a hill of bones, a knight mounted on a steed observed the battlefield with authority.
Noticing Alexander’s presence, the knight snapped his head around, locking his gaze on him. The creature seemed unable to comprehend what it was seeing; nevertheless, it shot toward Alexander at speed.
If Stephen had been there, he would have fled without looking back. But Alexander had no idea of the knight’s true strength. Ready to fight, he extended his shadow wings and summoned his power, bracing for impact.
However, meters away from colliding, the knight came to a halt and dismounted his steed.
The knight stood over three meters tall. His armor was constructed from shadows, and he held a silver broadsword measuring nearly the length of Alexander’s body. The entity emitted guttural sounds before driving his blade into the ground and kneeling before Alexander.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Alexander, keeping his guard up as he looked down at the giant bowing at his feet.
Alexander kept his claws imbued with mana, watching the three-meter figure that remained motionless with one knee driven into the rock.
"Can you understand me?" said Alexander, taking a step forward.
The shadow knight raised his head. Two flashes of crimson fire blazed within the sockets of his helm, locking onto the Vampire Emperor aura enveloping Alexander’s body.
A sound emerged from deep within the armor, echoing like metal scraping against stone.
"Lord... of the Night..." said the shadow knight, his voice causing the air to vibrate. "The Royal Blood... has returned to the Domain."
"Lord of the Night?" asked Alexander, narrowing his eyes. "Is it because of this form that you kneel?"
The undead giant bowed his head lower, lowering the hilt of his massive silver sword to the ground.
"The lineage... of Supreme Darkness... rules over the shadow armies," said the knight, pointing his arm toward the horde of skeletons fighting in the valley. "The souls bound to this abyss... answer only to the crown of blood."
Alexander gazed down at the crimson aura emanating from his skin. Enlightenment struck him at once: his Vampire Emperor transformation wasn’t a physical attribute, but a mantle of sovereignty that beings born of shadow recognized instinctively.
"So you don’t see an intruder," said Alexander, cracking a smile. "You see your true monarch."
The shadow knight slowly straightened up, keeping the hilt of his sword rested against the earth.
"My lord... though your presence reawakens the loyalty of the Middle Zone’s legions, you must exercise caution," said the shadow knight, his voice echoing across the valley. "In the depths of the Deep Domain dwell the Kings of the Abyss."
"Kings of the Abyss?" asked Alexander, raising an eyebrow. "Stephen mentioned they were the most powerful beings in this place."
"They are no mere living dead, my lord," said the shadow knight, shaking his head. "They are ancient entities that claimed the core of The Breach during the great war. They have devoured Level 5 Stones for centuries and will not submit to the Royal Blood without putting your sovereignty to the test."
"How many are there?" asked Alexander, crossing his arms.
"There are three abyssal rulers," said the shadow knight. "The King of Withered Bones, the Empress of Poisonous Shadows, and the Lord of Devoured Souls. Each commands a legion within the abyss and possesses abilities capable of tearing space itself."
"Three rulers..." said Alexander, wearing a smirk. "That means there are three Level 5 Stones waiting for me at the bottom."
"They hold overwhelming power, my lord," said the shadow knight, bowing once more. "If you wish to descend, this shadow vanguard shall carve the path ahead for you."
"Ready your troops," instructed Alexander, looking toward the black mist rising from the furthest ravine. "I didn’t come to The Breach to hide. I’m going to claim what belongs to the Emperor."
Alexander led the charge against the mist entities infesting the valley. However, upon engaging in battle, the situation proved far from simple. These beings were not weak; the mist composing them was dense and solid upon impact.
"[Storm Steel Claws]," said Alexander, slashing forward with a gale-and-metal strike.
The attack collided with the enemy’s surface, but managed only to scratch the outer layer of its compressed body. Without wasting a second, Alexander executed his next technique.
"[Shadow Vampire Summon]," said Alexander.
Three shadow thralls emerged from his side and lunged at the creatures, but their physical attacks barely made a dent in the natural armor.
"They’re not mere smoke... They are solid," observed Alexander, adjusting his stance.
Seeing that his standard skills were failing to yield results, Alexander decided to engage in close-quarters combat using his full power.
"[Vampire Emperor Shadow Armor]," said Alexander.
An armor of shadows and crimson aura encased his body. Alexander launched himself forward at speed, concentrated his darkness alongside a thirst for blood into his right fist, and delivered a blow into the chest of the nearest mist entity.
The impact echoed like a detonation. The energy of blood and shadow tore through the solid mist being, obliterating its core and reducing it to dust.
Alexander looked down at his fist, surprised by the leap in effectiveness when channeling his true nature.
"The true monarch possesses domain over blood; his power shall lead us to victory!" roared the skeleton knight, raising his silver broadsword high into the sky as his troops surged forward with ferocity.
"So that is my domain... Blood Domain sounds beyond magnificent," Alexander said, cracking a cold smile as he watched the crimson energy flow through his claws.
At that moment, a series of dark runes flickered before his eyes as the remains of the solid mist entity were absorbed into his shadow.
[Skill Absorbed: Mist Armor]
Alexander tightened his fist, feeling a new layer of defensive density integrate directly into his mana flow.
"It just keeps getting better," Alexander said, looking down at the ashes of his fallen enemy. "Isn’t this the exact skill these things were using?"