Pardon for not posting chapters this week, but my laptop died and had to go for servicing to get a new life. In process its memories were wiped out and I suffered a loss. *sniff* I had to rewrite again, so I am sorry for the delay 🙁
Here’s a Wednesday update. The bonus chapters will be coming up next but please be patient, I have to write them again. That may take time. (This time I will save my chapters on google drive for sure)
~
The dragon’s jaws were wide open and its teeth glowed under the expanding ball of energy that coagulated in its mouth as it made aim at Ruzen. The supressing enersym didn’t let Ruzen escape and the unbridled static surrounding the area buzzed heavily as if trying to warp the plane.
The trees around them were swaying unnaturally, almost twisting and twirling like elastic bands, on the verge of breaking or uprooting.
Ruzen had never seen such things happening before and this time he was frightened for his life. Although he tried to not experience any anxiety and stress over these matters, such shocking circumstances really made him fear the aftermath.
He wasn’t a coward or a scaredy cat, but who in their right minds would enjoy such grave scenarios? What he had in mind wasn’t the same as what he was going through at present, so his reaction wasn’t misplaced.
Even trying to move a muscle gave him cramps so imagine if he tried to escape… it was impossible.
In face of dooming danger, Ruzen forgot the ‘protection’ that had been given to him by the King, and because he was not directing his thoughts at it, he did not feel the slight heat that rushed through his body in warning. A whiff of a strange smell, almost threatening, wafted off of Ruzen’s skin, in response to the pressure enacted by the dragon.
Sadly, the skeletal dragon did not have the sense of smell, so it didn’t recognize the danger lurking right in front of it.
The ball of energy armed with toxicity and malice had almost completely formed, when finally, the dragon beast noticed a slight change in pressure around it.
And surprisingly it seemed to be coming from that little prey right in front of it. Now, it became even more important to destroy the source of danger, so the dragon sped up its attack process.
~
Somewhere else, sitting on the lonely throne, the Ghost King reviewed the panicking crowd which was being directed towards the central compound – also a safety bracket meant to protect the citizens – guards in armoured suits rushed from every direction, bringing in people from all corners, regulating and commanding when necessary.
Manjo’s security troops were first class human warriors, so even the sight of them brought relief to the crowd who were not high-ranking individuals themselves.
“Your majesty, we have found nothing of significance. The trail ended in the forest but nobody came out of there.”
The Ghost King did not speak, as the words fell on his ears and his eyes remained unfocused, still reviewing from the eyes of others that remained in the city.
Finally, after a long time, another close servant offered his views, “Your majesty, the competitors… what do you command?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The Ghost King hummed, the focus of his eyes finally lighting up, indicating that he was done reviewing the mess of Manjo.
The council members and the close servants, everyone stared at him in anticipation, the huge hall full of nervous tension. If not for the urgency, they all would have been asleep in their homes.
“Send out the shadow guards to protect the competitors. Command the troops towards the border for reinforcement, We believe the enemy has prepared to distract Us while they attack our defences.”
“But your majesty, they still might be inside the border, what are we supposed to do in case they try to infiltrate our main bases?” An old man, who had been part of the council from ages, suddenly sprang up from his seat in worry, it was obvious his worries were genuine.
Because a single enemy had the strength to redirect the war and tilt the circumstances to their benefit, in any case, it wasn’t the first time the King’s men were thrown in such rush. They all knew not to undermine the enemy’s strength.
“We know who the enemy is,” the ghost king stated, eyes sharp and fierce as those present in the hall shuddered under the chill. Some were surprised, because they did not know who the culprit was, but the King seemed very sure of his statement, and this left everyone puzzled.
“May this humble servant ask his majesty to give us a name? We will search for the culprit and -”
The King made a gesture of ‘stop’ from his hand and the other did not dare speak anymore. The young man who had asked, was the newly recruited servant who was aiming for the position in council. Although the 666,666 members of the council were strong in their own sense, they couldn’t make a move unless ordered by the King, and the servants on the other hand did have their freedom of execution but the authority they held within their palm was not enough to direct the upper echelon and the men under them.
Still, on the face of it, everyone respected the King and feared his might, but behind closed doors they hid their own agenda.
It was one of the reasons why the Ghost King had chosen Ruzen as his Keeper and had favoured the indirect method of roping him in. Yet, now the keeper was in danger and the King couldn’t leave his throne with all these members and servants present.
But the King wasn’t reluctant, he had already bestowed a powerful counter act to stabilize the situation if Ruzen was ever in danger, and so it wasn’t necessary for him to go there himself. For now, all he could do was keep an eye on the situation and wait for his sowed seed to bloom. After that, he would decide what to do.
~
A source of foreign energy tried to bite him down as the powerful attack from the dragon finally stabilised, making Ruzen quiver subconsciously.
The wisps of residual energy surrounding the dragon and him shattered the barks of trees and upturned the soil beneath, as if enjoying being released into the world without shackles.
Ruzen shifted back in terror, as the ball of energy was finally released, a huge earth shattering scream rushing through the air, as the swirling ball of energy made its way towards its target without stopping.
Just when Ruzen thought that he was a goner, his back suddenly flared up and his heart stopped beating for a second, almost making Ruzen’s body squeamish and uneasily taut. Time seemed to slow down as the ball of energy rushing straight towards him got deflected back at the dragon right after hitting something in the middle, could be a glass wall?
Ruzen’s eyes widened when the glass wall shinned with a soft emerald light, bursting out to form a symbol he had seen before in an ancient book. His master had told him that this symbol represented the highest ranks of beings who roamed their world. And this symbol was a ‘skill’, that couldn’t be used by any other for it consumed a lot of energy when utilized.
Not feeling any grievous wounds on himself, and not the slightest suction of energy, Ruzen realised that he was being protected by the Ghost King himself, for who else could do what he saw in front of him.
By now the symbol had expanded, and the glass wall had morphed into a round shield protecting Ruzen, the Dragon was hit with its own attack and screeched loudly, howling at the sky, as the bones started to melt and the golden heart pumped wildly.
In reaction, a beam of blue light emerged around Ruzen, extending upwards towards the sky, like an infinite ray of energy, echoing and pulsing strongly, almost making the night sky light up like the day.
This seemingly majestic move did not go unnoticed by the locals, neither those who were keeping a watching on the happening.
The shadow guards send to protect the competitors were late in reaching the dragon’s location, but they as well saw the distinguished skill attack for it was too obvious not to notice.
Somewhere far, the Ghost King remained calm even after this beam of energy – seen by most – settled back to its core, his eyes studying the council members to see how they would react.
The glow from the sudden outburst took time to settle, as the throne hall was streaked with rays of lights falling from the long windows, illuminating the space for a short period of time.
For a ‘skill’ to glow this bright, alerting every one of its might, a silence fell over the hall as the members and servants looked at each other with a thoughtful expression and suspicion.
The Ghost King hadn’t expected his seed to bloom with such vigour, at most he had expected it to resist the dragon’s rampage and protect Ruzen, but now… maybe, his foresight had been too narrow, he hadn’t expected Ruzen’s innate abilities to be this superior, his seed actually grew to such a degree, it was abnormal.
Now that the act had already exceeded his expectations, it was no longer feasible to keep Ruzen a secret. Sooner or later these council members would know and his plan would be seen through. It was better to empty the mess before it spilled.
“We see. So it was Ruzen.”
“Your majesty…?” bursts of similar questioning sounds echoed in the hall, most sounded unsure and puzzled, but there were some who had greater insight and realised what had happened, their eyes keenly watching the King with hidden intent.
“We had expected him to be brilliant, but We never expected he would make it… as most may have realized, the competitor that had caught your eyes had already been sounded out by Us. We wanted him to participate in order to ensure his rank, now We see that We did not make a bad choice.” The King’s poker face unnerved a few who wanted to voice their opinion, but the others didn’t think it was wise to even speak. They had guessed by now what the King had done, and it left them feeling slightly startled.
The King they knew never proceeded with anything before discussing with them or taking their advice. He had his own insight and seldom chose to participate himself. If the King was willing to do things his way, it was really astonishing and also, far-fetched.
It was known that ghosts and gods were polar opposite, if one was aloof, ignorant and unemotional, the other was emotional, decisive and impulsive.
Gods and Deities were revered for their influence and strength, while the Ghosts were known for their self-motives and stable reign.
Among all races, albeit surprising, the best rulers had always been the Ghosts. Not because they were unfeeling and frigid, but because they did not act on their own and always forged ‘systems’ which suited their practice.
Ghosts actually had no reason to act on their own unless provoked, and this is what made the present members and servants disconcerted.
They knew their King the best, they had knowledge that the King could also understand them for who they were, but it had never crossed them that their King would act on his own without first discussing it with them.
This new piece of news startled many, but some within the council already thought about guarding against the King. They all respected the King, but if their King took action without notice, then weren’t their freedoms at stake? The protected Land was well known not because of its ruler alone, but also the influence each and every council member had outside.
Who did not know about them, it was well known that many outsiders wanted to intrude their system, and the council members took them head on, showcasing their prowess and power.
It was natural to have internal discord and political rendezvous, but the King’s attempt was now clear and it made everyone present frightened. Because if the King started to clean up his council, those who had evil desires would be killed on sight.
If majority supported the King and the benefits they got from working under him, then the minority wanted to use the King and rise up in ranks. In conclusion, only a few had a pure mentality of supporting the King, and the King knew this. If the King fell, maybe the Council would protect him for their own purposes, but how many of them were truly loyal, was a question to be asked.
Power enabled anyone to have their own thoughts and with power came freedom and enlightenment. Even if the King was feared and was revered to, and his created system was praised by everyone… the stronger his fort was, the more the internal conflict.
This matter for now was not a priority, but in the future his empire might fall. Even if the Ghost King protected his empire, the people in his empire might also have their own views and could no longer resist the temptation of building their own castles.
Hense, the King needed someone who could ensure that his might was feared and his own people had no way of resisting his reign. Those who loved his protection were always welcomed, but those who wanted to use him, he had no desire to incubate them.
Ruzen’s appearance was a necessity, a key, and the Ghost King would do anything to ensure his presence by his side. Even if it meant he had to alarm his council of his future goals and ideals.
As for the traitor who ruined his plans, the King hadn’t been sure before but now he was.
“The competition will be cancelled, ensure the competitor’s safety.” The king spoke, rising from his throne, looking down at his people who were expecting him to say more. “We will personally take care of these creatures outside. We assume the Beast King is dead. In Our absence, decide who will leave their seat in the council, We will be adding a Keeper to the ranks, We want him to feel welcomed.”
With that the King vanished from view and the people present in the hall were left drenched in cold sweat. They looked at each other before a frail target was selected. Fighting for the seat… it never had a good ending. And the King really did not give them options this time.
A/N – You all may have questions about the council and the King, you may think that in previous chapters I specified how the King is the almighty and everyone fears him, he has power and nobody would dare to go against him, but… the true colours of the council will be revealed better in later chapters. It is not that the council does not value their king, but they do have their own goals and desires and the King provides them with a neutral ground that nourishes their desires. That is why they are stuck with him. I think that was made clear in this chapter. Even if the King is omnipotent, he is still vulnerable and knows his unstable future. In future chapters, the King’s motives, and personality would be explored in better light, and more doubts would be cleared. Because things aren’t what they seem to be and Ruzen is the key.
I really appreciate your writing style and your insights. The story gets better with each chapter. I really think you are doing a wonderful thing here. Keep it up!
Agree
Only god knows how many time I checked to see if this chapter has been updated. AMAZING CANT WAIT!!! Thank you so much!
If you join the discord you can get notifications
omg! I’m so excited for what is gonna happen! thanks for the chapter!!
Sorry about your laptop and thanks for the chapter
So unfortunate that you need to rewrite the chapters😔. We’re rlly grateful for your hardwork! Thank you for the chapter. dont push urself too hard
Fantastic! That was an exciting chapter. I can hardly wait for next. Thank you!
OMG 😭 All your hard work got lost. Don’t feel to frustrated I’m sure the newly written chapters will be as great as the lost ones. 😖 I feel excited for the chapters to come. All those hidden plots and the people in power who will get pushed out. So exciting! 😆 Lucky that Ruzen captured so many participants in the hunt, he basically saved their lives. They better be thankful. 😘
I love the layers of abilities Ruxzen is starting to show now. I had to put his name that way because spell check kept changing it to Ruben lol. Great storyline!!!!
Take your time with rewriting your chapters, we understandd. Thank you for the chapter ❤
Thank you for the chapter❤
thanks for the chapter <3
The plot THINKINS
You may have had to rewrite it, but awesome chapter. Sorry about your laptop. Like you getting yours fixed, I can feel mine is struggling; I might be on the laptop hunt soon. Unlike most smartphones, it’s braved its way through 15 years of service.