Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

... and almost divine insight that he was fortunate to receive in a time of peril.

Could it be that others in this world also possess knowledge about these extraterrestrial horrors?

Suddenly, without thinking, he blurted out the next question.

"Then what about the Astral Purge Essence?"

For the first time, the old slave showed a visible reaction.

His nonexistent brows furrowed slightly, and his voice took on a note of genuine confusion.

"What is that?"

Ethan stiffened. His mind raced.

The fact that the Blood Slave knew of the Void Nihility Demons but not the Astral Purge Essence meant one of two things.

Either the knowledge of the Eterna Nexus was truly rare, or more likely it was something outside the reach of even a Sky Realm being.

He slowly lowered his head and feigned nonchalance.

"Nothing..," he muttered.

The Blood Slave's eerie glowing eyes locked onto him and he seemed to be scrutinizing his response.

But Ethan remained impassive and masked his inner thoughts behind a carefully neutral expression.

His heart, however, pounded in his chest.

To divert the topic, he asked the one thing that had shocked him most.

"Tell me about the Nihility Demons you mentioned earlier."

The old man studied him for a moment longer before answering.

"They are entities from beyond the fabric of this world," he said, his voice echoing with ancient knowledge.

"Extraterrestrial parasites. They seep through world boundaries… infest weak minds.

The Dark Goblins… the Ghoul Clans… even those Specters of the Southwest… all pawns. They trade souls for power… and invite rot"

Ethan listened carefully and absorbed every word.

"They prey upon the weak-willed," the Blood Slave continued in its eerie whispers,

"The strong repel them. The desperate… worship them. The Specter Kingdoms… carve their flesh into relics.

The Ghouls… let them feast on their essence in exchange for power.

But all who bargain… become husks. You saw… the goblin commander."

"Are they also responsible for the corruption of Dark Goblins and Mad Orcs?"

Ethan asked as he recalled the battle he fought just now and the infamy of these creatures.

"Partially," the Blood Slave admitted.

"Dark Goblins, Mad Orcs, Ghouls, and Specters of the Southwest—these beings... especially susceptible.

The lesser ones... mere puppets, their minds shattered beyond repair. But the stronger ones… they embrace the Nihility willingly."

A frown formed on Ethan's lips. "What do you mean?"

"The Specters," the Blood Slave said as his tone deepened. "Unlike... others, they do not merely fall victim to the Nihility's influence. But... worship it."

A chill ran through Ethan's spine.

"They offer... sacrifices," the Blood Slave continued.

"Not just in bodies, but.... souls too.

They seek the esoteric powers granted by...them and forsake... their existence in return for... knowledge and abilities that defy the natural laws of this world.

Their rituals, their chants… they call the Void Nihility Demons forth. And sometimes, the demons answer."

Ethan clenched his fists. If what the old man said was true, then the corruption of this world ran far deeper than he had imagined.

"And these abilities," Ethan asked, "are they truly so powerful that conventional methods are useless against them?"

The Blood Slave continued in its rasping tone.

"Their powers... very insidious. A blade can cut a man. A spell can destroy a fortress.

But against the whispers of Nihility, against curses that unravel the soul and fates twisted by eldritch designs, physical force, and conventional elemental magic alone... very insufficient."

Ethan exhaled slowly, absorbing the words.

He wanted to ask more about those curses, about the eldritch designs the old slave spoke of, but before he could, the Blood Slave turned away.

Without another word, he started trudging down the back stairs of the flat stone peak in his slow yet deliberate movements.

Ethan sighed inwardly. It was clear that the old man had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Pushing himself to his feet, he swayed slightly.

His legs felt unsteady as the battle had drained much of his strength, but the brief talk had steadied his mind.

By now, his sacred white fire had healed most of his burns and cuts, leaving only a faint throbbing ache behind.

"Come, young master… I will show you something."

Ethan tilted his head in curiosity.

He had no idea what the Blood Slave meant, but he followed and at the same, he kept a cautious distance behind the hunched figure.

As they descended into the valley below, Ethan's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.

The valley was a graveyard of shadows.

Crude caves pockmarked the cliffs which were clearly the hovels of those filthy dark goblins.

But their entrances were now dark and silent.

At the base of the valley sat a rough pyramid-like stone cave from where he was coming down.

He had no doubt that the large cave at the center where he had destroyed the Demon's avatar had served as their unholy temple.

Ethan's skin prickled as he observed the whole valley.

This was where the goblins had channeled their worship and the point form where Zarghul's projection had clawed into this world.

The air still hummed with residual corruption and a greasy film of sticky darkness different from the one he was familiar with still clung to his lungs.

The Blood Slave paused at the altar's base.

"Observe."

Its thin bony leathery finger pointed to the sides of the pyramid-like cave.

Etchings coiled across the surface and there were crude depictions of dark goblins bowing to a three-horned skull.

But the carvings were wrong. The longer Ethan stared, the more they writhed.

The skull's crimson hollow eyes seemed to follow him and the dark goblins' faces melted into screams and piles of black sludge that dripped down the wall.

"The Nihility's touch… warps more than flesh. It stains memory. Stone. Even time."

Ethan tore his gaze away as he felt his nausea rising.

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"Why show me this?"

The Blood Slave's crimson eyes flickered as it started speaking.

"Master Altheria… wishes you to understand."