The dark velvet of the afternoon had completely turned the forgotten mountain peaks into a terrifying graveyard of howling storms.
Massive bolts of blue lightning violently ripped across the black clouds, casting long, eerie shadows over the steep, jagged rocks.
The two royal carriages ground to a violent halt before the massive, pitch-black opening of the cavern structure constructed entirely out of ancient black stones.
The wind was so fierce that it tore at the heavy fabric of their garments as the Empress, the Prince, and all the dark imperial wizards began stepping out of the vehicle onto the cold, damp earth.
Every single path around them was engulfed in a suffocating, dense dark aura.
The Empress and the Prince stepped forward, their faces cold with murderous ambition.
But the absolute second they took their very first step to cross the threshold inside the mouth of the dark cave, a sudden, horrifying sound shattered the wind.
WHOOSH!
Without a single fraction of a warning, a sudden burst of violent, spontaneous black fire erupted directly onto one of the dark wizards.
The wizard didn’t even have the chance to let out a proper scream; within a split second, the dark flames consumed his entire physical form, reducing him to a pile of smoldering white ash right on the cavern floor.
The Empress gasped, her body staggering back slightly as her dark eyes widened in sudden alarm.
“What…
what on earth is this?!”
The Prince stood tall beside her, his features locked in a sinister, unbothered smirk as he stared at the pile of ash.
His voice remained smooth and calculating.
“He is absolutely not an ordinary, common sorcerer, Mother.
He knows exceptionally well who is completely useless and worthless to him.
He is merely filtering the trash.”
Before the remaining wizards could even process the sudden death of their companion, the deepest corners of the pitch-black cave began to echo with a series of bizarre, bone-chilling sounds—the horrific, overlapping wails of weeping ghosts and screaming pishachas.
The terrifying, agonizing cries rattled against the stone walls, causing the remaining dark wizards to tremble uncontrollably with pure, unadulterated fear.
The Prince adjusted the hilt of his golden sword, his eyes flashing with dark satisfaction.
“Listen closely…
those are the exact voices of his captive ghosts.”
BOOM!
Right at that exact second, a violent bolt of lightning tore straight down from the crackling ceiling of the cavern, striking a second dark wizard directly where he stood.
The sheer force of the impact obliterated him instantly.
The head dark wizard, sweat pouring down his translucent face as his knees shook with absolute terror, stepped forward to confront the Prince.
“Are…
are you trying to get us all slaughtered in this damned place?!
Why did you bring us here?!”
The Prince turned his head slowly, his expression transforming into a chilling wall of absolute indifference as he snapped, “Shut your mouth!
To accomplish a monumental task, sacrifices must absolutely be delivered!”
Suddenly, the thick darkness at the far end of the cave began to shift and warp.
Out from the black fog, a massive, towering shadow manifested against the stone wall—the shape of a colossal demon possessing exceptionally large, jagged horns.
The Empress and the Prince froze, their breath catching in their throats at the sheer, suffocating pressure of the entity.
A deep, raspy, and echoing voice cut through the silence like grinding stones, vibrating from the depths of the dark corridor.
“Who has arrived?
Who has dared to cast their arrogant gaze upon my quiet, peaceful existence?”
The Empress straightened her heavy silk robes, forcing her royal pride back into her voice as she stood tall against the darkness.
“It is I!
The supreme ruler and Queen of Eldoria!”
The moment the declaration left her lips, a sudden, rapid chain reaction occurred.
A long line of iron torches fastened to the stone walls burst into life one after the other, burning with a thick, sickly green fire that illuminated the massive central chamber.
Sitting elegantly upon a grand, imposing throne constructed out of skeletal remains and black crystals was the ancient sorcerer.
He was completely swathed in a heavy, dark hooded coat that obscured his features, leaving only a dark void.
Yet, cast against the illuminated stone wall behind his levitating form was that identical, terrifying shadow of the giant horned demon.
The sorcerer slowly raised his long-nailed, withered hand, his raspy voice dripping with absolute chill.
“If you desire the survival of your own cheap lives…
then depart from this place this very instant.
Otherwise, you shall remain permanently buried right beneath this stone.”
Hearing the deadly threat, the Prince did not hesitate.
He instantly dropped onto his knees against the wet ground, lowering his head in a display of absolute submission as he cried out, “My Lord!
I am in desperate need of your supreme power!
Please, extend your hand and help me!”
The dark void beneath the sorcerer’s hood shifted toward the Empress, who was still standing rigidly, her jaw clenched in stubborn pride.
A low, dry chuckle escaped the sorcerer’s throat.
“Your biological mother possesses a remarkably arrogant attitude.
The Prince turned his head frantically, his voice filled with urgent pressure as he hissed at her, “Mother!
Sit down on your knees immediately!”
The Empress clenched her teeth with absolute, burning fury, her fingers digging deep into her palms.
Realizing she had no alternative if she wanted her vengeance, she violently dropped down onto her knees beside her son, glaring into the shadows.
The ancient sorcerer burst into a sudden, booming, and malicious laughter that echoed frantically through the stone arches.
“Wah!
Wah!
What a spectacular sight to behold!
The absolute Queen of Eldoria is lying directly at my feet!
Tell me…
what grand assistance do you seek from me?”
The Prince raised his eyes, his voice laced with an intense, unyielding malice.
“My Lord…
I require your supreme assistance to have a single man completely slaughtered.”
The green flames along the walls flared violently as the sorcerer’s tone snapped into a sudden, deep rage.
“You have traveled all the way to my sacred domain for a simple, insignificant task like this?!
Do you take me for a fool?!
Are you attempting to make a mockery of my name?!”
The Prince shook his head frantically, his hands trembling as he clarified, “No, My Lord!
He is absolutely not an ordinary, common man!
He successfully slaughtered our ancient demon Gargoyle with absolute ease, completely destroying it all by himself!”
The volatile air inside the chamber froze instantly.
The ancient sorcerer became entirely quiet, the yellow light within his hood narrowing into sharp slits.
“Is that so…?
Tell me, what is his official name?”
The Prince leaned forward, pronouncing every syllable with intense hatred.
“My Lord…
his name is Grand Duke Killian Von Rosenberg.”
The sorcerer’s statuesque frame stiffened in absolute shock for a single fraction of a second.
Then, a slow, terrifyingly shaitani smile broke across the visible edge of his features under the hood as a chilling chuckle escaped him.
“Huh…
so the true, latent powers of that brat have finally awakened from their slumber.
Very well…
is he the sole target you wish to have slaughtered?”
“Yes, absolutely!” the Prince responded eagerly, his eyes flashing with dark greed.
“Just completely destroy his existence, and once he is dead, ensure you deliver his fiancée directly into our custody.
Because she is my completely useless sister!”
The sorcerer tilted his head slightly.
“Your sister…?”
“Yes, My Lord!” the Prince confirmed firmly.
“Tell me, what is her official name?” the sorcerer inquired smoothly.
“My Lord…
her name is Evelyn Eldoria,” the Prince stated clearly.
The ancient sorcerer slowly closed his eyes beneath the heavy hood, expanding his dark senses across the magical fabric of the continent.
The absolute second his consciousness locked onto Evelyn’s unique soul signature, his eyes snapped wide open in the dark void.
A wave of profound, hidden astonishment washed over his mind as he muttered secretly within the privacy of his thoughts, ‘This…
this girl possesses a remarkably breathtaking, immense hidden power!
Her soul is an absolute goldmine…
she will serve as the perfect tool for my high-level spells and blood sacrifice rituals!’
The Prince, noticing the long silence, leaned forward nervously.
“What happened, My Lord?
You have suddenly fallen into deep thought.”
The sorcerer cleared his throat, his raspy voice returning to an absolute, demanding register.
“Tell me…
what exactly am I going to receive once I have that Rosenberg monster killed?”
The Empress, unable to contain her boiling frustration any longer, stood up abruptly from the stone floor, her voice sharp with anger.
“What more could you possibly want from us now?!”
The sorcerer’s tone turned entirely cold and absolute.
“If you desire my supreme dark forces to fight your battles… This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
then an equal price must be delivered.
There are absolutely no free favors here.”
The Prince stood up quickly, trying to manage the situation as he raised his hands.
“Please tell us what you desire, My Lord!
We are prepared to grant you absolutely anything in exchange!”
The sorcerer slowly tilted his hooded face upward toward the cavern ceiling, his voice dropping into a chilling murmur.
“Absolutely anything…?”
“Yes!
Anything!” the Prince stammered in his rush.
“Very well then…
I demand that Evelyn be delivered directly to me,” the sorcerer stated with absolute clarity.
The Empress’s face contorted into a furious, venomous mask of pure rage.
She took a menacing step forward, her voice screeching through the chamber.
“Why on earth do you want her now?!
I am the one who must slaughter that disgrace with my own bare hands!”
The sorcerer remained perfectly unbothered on his throne, his voice absolute.
“If you desire my assistance to destroy the Duke, the girl must be given to me.
And besides…
you intend to have her killed regardless, do you not?
What does it matter who delivers the strike?”
The Prince’s face paled, and he violently grabbed his mother’s silk sleeve, pulling her back as he hissed in a low, desperate whisper, “Mother!
Please, just agree to his terms right now!
Once he completely slaughters Rosenberg for us, we can easily plan a way to kill this old sorcerer later!
Please, just agree!”
The Empress clenched her teeth with such immense force that her jaw ached, her dark eyes glaring at the throne before she spat out the words through her teeth.
“Fine!
The girl shall be delivered directly to you!
Is there anything else you desire?!”
The sorcerer let out a dark, echoing chuckle that made the stone floor vibrate.
“And remember one thing…
completely erase any thoughts of attempting to slaughter me from your minds.
Understood?
Otherwise, you shall comfortably watch your entire kingdom be wiped out from the face of this earth.”
The Prince swallowed hard, his voice cracking in sheer panic.
“We…
we understand perfectly, My Lord.”
“Very well then…
let us meet directly inside your Imperial Palace,” the sorcerer spoke smoothly.
With a sudden, dramatic flourish of his dark hooded coat, his entire physical form completely vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a cloud of green smoke.
The Empress looked at the empty throne, her panic rising instantly as she turned to the remaining wizards.
“Move immediately!
Hurry!
Otherwise, that madman will unleash an absolute reign of terror directly inside our palace gates!
Let us depart!”
The royal family and the remaining sorcerers scrambled out of the cavern in a frantic rush, throwing themselves into the carriage as the horses surged forward at maximum speed, racing back toward the capital.
Inside the fast-moving carriage, the Prince let out a loud, triumphant laugh, his features twisted in dark victory.
“Hahaha!
Mother, from this very day forward, Grand Duke Rosenberg’s final countdown has officially begun!”
The Empress stared out the glass window into the dark, stormy night, her expression a mask of pure, unadulterated venom as she clenched her fists.
“That may be true…
but I assure you, the moment this battle is finished, I shall personally ensure that ancient sorcerer is slaughtered as well!”
Thank you for reading!
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