Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

Still, compared to dark goblins or orcs, they are far more intelligent, and the strong among them often become shamans or warlocks."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully as he marveled at the unsettling diversity of the demon realm.

Yet before he could ponder more, the carriage came to a slow halt in front of a towering black stone building with its grandeur unmatched by the surrounding structures.

From inside the carriage, they could see a grand sign carved from obsidian and inlaid with gold hung above the entrance.

It read Adventurer Guild: Vord City Branch.

A soft smirk tugged at Ethan's lips. He could already feel the pulse of fate guiding him forward.

"Let's begin," Ethan murmured as he stepped out of the carriage.

Virelle and Velcy followed with each embodying a contrasting presence.

Virelle wore her signature crimson noble gown that was tailored to properly flatter her beautiful curves yet was modest enough to ward off the unwanted gazes of the lustful and perverted idiots.

A translucent red veil veiled the lower half of her face and shielded her true identity from potential spies of the Empire of Abyssal Dominion's royal family who could unknowingly find out the truth if they spotted them together.

Even though Ethan didn't fear them, he knew that maintaining a sense of precaution was necessary.

The red veil covered her beautiful features but only amplified the allure of her captivating crimson eyes.

Beside her, Velcy maintained her subdued demeanor and her dull gray hair partly concealed her face as she walked in a simple light-blue one-piece dress and blended into the background.

Ethan calmly adjusted his sleeves and his expression composed as Velcy clung softly to his right hand while Virelle looped her arm elegantly around his left elbow.

With a subtle motion, Ethan tapped the red bracelet on his wrist.

A faint glow coursed through it, and his previously dim crimson eyes flared vividly to a glowing red that unmistakably identified him as a vampire to any who watched.

The Vampire Primogenitor's flesh string is working as expected.

As they walked towards the guild's gate, he and Virelle now presented the perfect image of a vampire noble couple.

As they walked, heads subtly turned towards the three from all directions.

Men found themselves entranced by Virelle's mysterious beauty, while women stole glances at Ethan's composed, enigmatic aura and his handsome visage.

The black Shadow Storm Eagle chick, Bolt was tucked safely within his shirt's pocket as it slept peacefully while emitting occasional small lightning bolts that tingled Ethan's skin from within.

Without pausing, the trio approached and passed through the towering guild gates that were guarded by hulking demons clad in darkened armor.

Beyond the gates, the hall stretched wide and tall and exuded a quiet grandeur as its vastness echoed with a hushed reverence.

The walls were decorated with preserved heads of various magical creatures including a DreadStone Basilisk with its yellow petrifying eyes gouged but Ethan could recognize it almost instantly.

The walls were lined with the gruesome trophies of powerful beasts as their heads mounted like grim badges of conquest.

Ethan's keen eyes immediately caught sight of a massive black wolf's snarling maw with its teeth bared in a frozen snarl, and nearby, the severed head of an ice wyvern hung with its icy blue scales cracked and dulled with age.

But it was the towering centerpiece that truly seized his focus. It was a colossal head of a chimera that dominated the hall with its sheer presence.

Unlike the typical chimera he had read about, this one bore not two but three fearsome heads.

The central lion's head was crowned with a deep crimson mane as it seemed to let out an eternal silent roar and its long-dead red eyes still exuded a malevolent lingering power that Ethan could almost feel in his bones.

To one side, the familiar black goat head stared back with its curling jagged horns and sickly yellow eyes that brimmed with an eerie stillness.

On the other side, however, was something wholly unexpected, it was a hyena's head.

At a glance, it appeared calm and detached but its half-open maw and eyes glinted with predatory malice as though mocking the viewer.

The oppressive aura emanating from the monstrous relic rivaled the dreadful weight Ethan had once felt from the Void Nihility Demon's avatar.

It demanded both fear and reverence from all who entered the hall.

At the base of the chimera's display, a dark steel plaque caught the ambient light, and its surface was etched with glowing crimson words in the Aegaryn language.

Ethan narrowed his eyes to read it.

[Slain by the Mithril Grade Adventurer, Duke Gaylord Vord, during the Battle of Ebog in the Year 5250 of the Aegaryn Calendar.]

It is now the year 5357 so this means that this perverted Duke had killed the monstrous chimera over a century ago.

Ethan almost burst into laughter at the absurdity of the name Gaylord but managed to suppress it with visible effort.

Yet, beyond the humor, he was genuinely impressed.

While he understood in theory that higher ascension realms meant prolonged lifespans, witnessing hard evidence of someone thriving for over a hundred years hit differently.

It was concrete and undeniable proof that true strength granted longevity.

His crimson eyes hardened as the fire within him blazed fiercer. His will to ascend and reach the pinnacle of power only grew stronger.

Without breaking his gaze from the plaque, he sent a quiet sound transmission to Virelle as he sought her confirmation.

'Virelle is this Gaylord guy the same perverted Duke Vord, that you were talking about?'

'Yes, Brother Ethan. The present Duke Vord is the same one who slew this chimera in the Battle of Ebog that was fought between the two demon empires of Infernal Sovereignty and the Abyssal Dominion.'

'Then, going by the line indicating that this Duke Gaylord is a Mithril Rank Adventurer, we can safely assume that he is at least...'