Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

A deathly aura flooded the forest, so potent that it made the trees tremble. Ethan's sharp gaze lifted to the sky.

Above the valley, an enormous black skull materialized from a swirling mass of dark smoke that connected the sky and the valley.

Its hollow eyes seemed to bore into the very fabric of reality and exuded an unspeakable dread.

A third slit that resembled a closed eye rested on its forehead. Three curved black horns emerged from its head and pulsed with a malevolent energy.

The Blood Moon's crimson glow intensified and instead of falling on the ground, it converged into the thin slit on the skull's forehead.

A blinding crimson beam erupted from the dark skull's thin slit on his forehead and cut through the darkness like a blade of pure malice.

It shot upward and pierced the ever-present dark clouds as it connected the ominous black skull to the Blood Moon above.

A faint crack of red light began to form in that closed slit which began to widen slowly.

Ethan stood with his eyes frozen and his breath shallow.

Sweat dripped down his temple as an unbearable pressure bore down on his soul.

A cold dread seized his heart and his instincts screamed at him to flee.

Behind him, Virelle and Velcy arrived at his position and their faces instantly turned pale as they stared at the colossal skull looming over the valley.

"What… is that?" Virelle whispered as her voice trembled continuously.

Their bodies trembled involuntarily.

The skull's hollow gaze locked onto them and suffocated them with its sheer presence.

Their hearts pounded like war drums in their chests.

Velcy clutched her arms as her feline senses went haywire.

"This… this isn't normal darkness..." she whispered through gritted teeth.

Ethan's crimson eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

He followed his instincts and didn't make any movements as his gut feeling told him not to do so.

His dark vision activated instinctively. And instantly, his mind was assaulted by an overwhelming cacophony of voices.

There were screams of agony, cries for mercy, and despair so deep it threatened to pull him into an abyss of madness.

His pupils dilated and spun wildly as if his entire being was being forcefully ripped apart.

Blood poured from his nose and eyes.

His vision blurred, and the forest twisted in nightmarish distortions in his blurry eyes.

A sense of profound sorrow gripped his chest and suffocated him.

Ethan clenched his jaw as he forced himself back to reality. A silver gleam flickered through his crimson irises for an instant.

And for an instant, something inside him stirred and a heavy pulse raced from his heart to his entire body.

A sudden and intense desire to uncover the truth behind the valley's ominous presence took root in his mind.

The more he resisted, the stronger it grew and gnawed at his thoughts like an unrelenting force.

He lifted his head to look at the billowing dark smoke and the massive dark skull looming above.

His body and blood did not tremble with fear but with exhilaration.

Sighing inwardly, he knew that if he didn't seek the truth today, it would haunt him forever and would rob him of peace for a long time.

Besides, the goblin commander still had to die.

Resolving himself, he shook off the lingering dizziness and turned to his companions.

Without a word, he raised his right hand and formed a distinct claw-like sign.

Virelle's breath hitched. Meanwhile, Velcy's eyes widened in disbelief.

They both recognized the sign immediately.

It meant...Escape.

But only for them and not for him.

It was one of the signs Ethan had taught them for dire emergencies, that is situations where he deemed it necessary for them to abandon him.

They hesitated and their bodies were unwilling to move behind. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

But Ethan didn't give them a chance to argue. In the next instant, his form vanished as he darted toward the valley with inhuman speed.

As for the goblin commander, it had already vanished deep into the valley just moments before after his grammatical crying.

Velcy instinctively moved to follow, but Virelle grabbed her wrist with a firm grip as her scarlet eyes flashed with restrained urgency.

"His orders," she whispered harshly.

"We follow them."

Velcy's lips curled into a silent snarl as her body trembled with frustration and anger.

"But—"

"That driver," Virelle interrupted as her mind raced for solutions.

"Ethan sent us away for a reason. If he knew he couldn't fight this thing alone, he wouldn't have gone in. He must believe we can get him help. We have to believe in him"

Velcy hesitated as she stared into Virelle's determined eyes.

A reluctant growl rumbled in her throat but she turned her back to the valley.

They bolted toward the carriage with frantic movements.

But just as they left the clearing and entered under the dense foliage of the tall dark tree, Virelle couldn't resist one final glance at the sky.

Through the tangled canopy of trees, she caught a glimpse of the skull's third eye. The thin red crack on its forehead had begun to solidify and pulsated with an eerie and otherworldly energy.

Her breath hitched and her blood turned to ice.

"Is that… an eye?" she whispered in horror.

Her knees nearly buckled, and a wave of nausea overtook her.

Velcy caught her before she collapsed and concern flashed in her slit feline eyes.

"What happened?!"

Virelle didn't respond immediately. Her mind was consumed by a singular terrifying thought.

It seemed like an eye... and it was about to open.

Her hands clenched into fists and her body instinctively turned toward the valley as she was ready to run back.

But Velcy grabbed her shoulders and stopped her.

The look in Velcy's eyes was firm and resolute.

"We find the driver. Then we go back."

Virelle swallowed hard as she forced herself to nod.

Together, they turned and sprinted back toward the carriage as their hearts pounded with uncertainty.