Chapter 38: Fangs Against Crown
Venom took another sip of his wine, slow and unrushed, then wiped the rim of his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You put me in a tight situation, Prince," he muttered. "See, I’m not really the type to submit."
The tension shattered like glass would.
In a single breath, Venom’s eyes ignited with a sickly green light, and his body pulsed with mana. The air twisted—then roared.
With a grunt, he slammed his palm into the floorboards. A pulse of warped energy exploded outward.
[Gnashing Pulse]
A storm of ghostly serpent fangs erupted from beneath the tavern, shredding the floor as spectral vipers burst outward, howling like wind through bone.
The shockwave blew apart Lan’s Qi Blades in an instant. Tables, chairs, and Mad Vipers alike were thrown like dolls in a hurricane. The tavern’s walls blew outward—stone and timber collapsing under the raw force.
Lan’s boots slid across the ground as he braced himself, skidding back through shattered glass and smoke. With a sharp grunt, he twisted his body and grounded his heel, stopping his momentum. A breath later and he was already upright.
Across the chaos, the Fourth Guard caught Seraphine mid-air as she fell backward. Without a word, he landed in a crouch and gently set her down, his gaze already tracking threats like a beast scenting blood.
Venom stood in the wreckage, laughing under his breath.
"You come here expecting to rule this place?" he snarled. "You’re just as foolish as the ones before you."