Chapter 1150 Scene From Hell
Dorian changed a lot in the span of four months. He used to shave his beard before, showing his strong jaw and haughty smirk. After growing wiser, he allowed his beard to grow. Similar to his hair, the beard was also ashen in color.
The new look made him look older, which was a tactic to earn more respect. Although strength mattered above all others inside the tower, Dorian did not wish to fight everyone. He wanted to unite the citizens under the banner of public good.
His wishes were nothing short of a dream, he knew. The challengers within the towers were mostly lone wolves that wanted to conquer it. Once the wolves realized that the second floor had been united, they formed a pack before baring their fangs at Karma City.
According to these challengers, Dorian was seeking to gain control of the tower through sheer numbers, and not actual merits. Although they had heard about how Arthur was the one to crown him a lord, they refused to believe that someone weaker than them was actually their lord.
Their first appearance was three months after the end of the war, and one month after the gods sneaked into the tower. The gods tried to use a religious group to sabotage the tower from the inside, but Seraphine and Ilia defeated them.
These groups used that event to describe Dorian as a tyrant because he refused to allow people to exercise their faith. No one denied that, not even Dorian himself. After all, faith had to be harmless. However, their faith allowed a god to incarnate and cause problems.
Before he became the lord, Dorian thought that things would be easier than this. Although he knew that there was no such thing as easy when ruling a city, he never foresaw that so many groups would demand his resignation or head.
"I expected that you would be here," said a voice from behind him, forcing Dorian to turn. The voice was unfamiliar, but once he saw its owner, Dorian was surprised. A tall man landed on the rooftop, a few steps away from him. Lightning crackled from his body, brimming with strength and a promise to destroy. "Ilia told me he has seen you stand atop the palace a few times."
"This is no longer the Xelorian Palace, but an academy to train promising challengers," said Dorian with a smile. "I almost failed to recognize you, Arthur. You look like a proper Demon King now."
"Do I have that villainous look?" asked Arthur as he tilted his head. Dorian almost laughed at his confused expression and offered him a mirror that he took out of his storage pouch. "Lightning seems to have left its mark on my entire body."
"You look less approachable than before."
"Quite the opposite of how you look now, Dorian," said Arthur as he returned the mirror. "I heard that you had troubles with some rebels?"
"I would not call them rebels, just troublemakers," said Dorian with a sigh as he turned to look into the distance. His ashen hair flew with the wind as his eyes looked for solutions. "People are difficult to deal with, Arthur. Sometimes you can be their hero, other times you are a tyrant."
"People will force a role on you depending on what they desire," said Arthur as he walked to stand beside him. "If they want you to protect them, you are a hero. If they want you gone, you are a villain."
"In either case, you have to do something for them," said Dorian with a smile. "I became a lord to help starving children, unfortunate souls that you have shown me. There are no more starving children, but that made many people upset."
"Who are they?"
"What?"
"Tell me their names, and I will crush them," said Arthur without hesitation. Dorian was surprised as he turned to him before he laughed. Arthur looked at him with comical confusion as he thought that he didn't say anything funny. "What are you laughing about?"
"I just laugh about how different we are, despite having the same goal," said Dorian as he tried to calm down. "Even as they demand my head, I don't plan on hurting them. I want to reach a solution without bloodshed."
"There is a thin line between being a pacifist and a dreamer, Dorian," said Arthur as he lowered his gaze to his palm. Lightning crackled from his fingers, each reflecting a different memory in the past. "Misplaced mercy has done more harm than unwavering ruthlessness."
"No one is entirely evil. If I sentence them to death, I must be certain that the world cannot handle any more of their vile actions."
"This is where I can help," said Arthur, making Dorian look at him again. "The souls of wrath tell me whether a person has harmed them or not. If someone deserves to die, then I would know."
"Do I deserve to die?" asked Dorian with a smile. Arthur looked at him for a few seconds, enough to make Dorian change his mind. "Forget it. There is no use in knowing that."
"If there were souls that demand your death, then I would have never chosen you, Dorian," said Arthur before starting to float. "You should know the general location of these groups, right?"
"Are you going to take care of it now?" asked Dorian with surprise, seeing Arthur in such a hurry. Then, the reason behind his haste clicked. "Your departure is soon."
"A day at most," said Arthur while floating away. "Tell me where to find them."
Dorian was still shocked by the news but nodded and pointed in a certain direction. "I received intel that they are hiding within the desert. You should head northwest from here."
"That's more than enough for me to find them," said Arthur before he turned into a black bolt of lightning, disappearing from sight. Then, the bolt flew across the sky, making the clouds rumble. Dorian looked at him leaving with a saddened look.
Arthur would not leave forever, but he became their rock during the time he was here. No matter how bleak the situation became, Arthur and his warriors were there to turn tides. However, that was not the only reason that Dorian felt saddened by his departure.
During these four months, Dorian did not have the time to spend time with them. Although they created cherished memories, even fighting together several times, they became as close as family. In the end, he could do nothing but watch them leave.
***
Inside the vast Rainfall Desert, which has been named as such in desperate hope by the inhabitants, a giant camp stretched across it. The camp did not have many residents, but it had many women and chained men walking around.
"More wine for the boss! Bring those women too!" shouted a man wearing exquisite-looking armor toward a chained man, who hurried with bottles of wine. As he ran, two women followed after him, heading toward the main tent.
After the man went inside with the wine and the women followed, he was soon kicked out from the tent to roll on the desert. Then, the women screamed and begged for mercy. Such scenes played throughout the camp with a foul stench of booze, lust, and blood.
As these challengers laughed while abusing those weaker than them, the sky rumbled. The entire desert shifted as black clouds gathered above them. Such an alarming scene in a rainless desert made the challengers leave their tents with half-worn clothes.
"Boss! Something strange is happening in the sky!" shouted the man wearing exquisite armor. He was addressing a burly man with blonde hair and a wide chest, so wide that he looked like a wardrobe. "Did Karma City learn about our whereabouts?"
"This does not belong to Karma City!" shouted the blonde wardrobe as he retrieved his weapon. "It should belong to…!"
Boom!
Crackle!
A bolt of black lightning struck the middle of the camp, sending sand flying everywhere. The sandy hills shifted because of the force, destabilizing the tents so much that some of them collapsed.
"Surround him but do not attack!" shouted the blonde wardrobe as he began wearing his armor with a sweaty face. The challengers serving him rushed to do as commanded before forming a circle around the crater.
"Gather in one place, so I can kill you as fast as possible," said a deep and threatening voice from the settling dust cloud. It sent chills down their spines as they saw the figure standing within the crater, with black lightning crackling around him. "This wrath needs sating."
"Who are you?!" shouted one of the warriors as he trembled in fear. His eyes tried to focus on the man and see his features, but it threw him into a state of near madness. "WHAT ARE YOU?!" shouted the man again as fear gripped his heart.
"I am retribution for everything you have done," said the tall creature as black lightning roared to life. A long dagger appeared in his hand, as black as the night.
The scene sent chills down their spines, as some of them fell down in fear. However, that was not the end of it. Shadows began appearing behind the man, having faces of people that the challengers have killed. It was a true scene from hell.
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