The Monster King's Legacy

Cauldrus stretched his senses further, trying to pinpoint any signs of struggle. That was when he noticed something else.

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A few were missing, not dead, just missing. These people were the elders. It was more than strange to Cauldrus, some of the most powerful elves in the kingdom, gone without a trace.

He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened, perhaps these elders were the ones behind everything that was happening? He couldn’t draw a definitive line exactly.

Before he could piece everything together, however, he felt something, faint, but still present, a ripple in the air.

Cauldrus turned instantly, ice magic coiling around his fingers while the cold energy poured from him, ready to strike, but he halted mid-motion when he saw the figure standing before him.

It was Ithil.

The younger elf’s appearance was as regal as ever, his hair cascading down his shoulders. But there was something different, something fundamentally changed about him. His eyes, once vibrant with the wisdom of an elder, now held a glow of deep mystery. It was barely noticable, for to Cauldrus, it was too obvious. The more he studied, it seemed like Ithil’s very existenceradiated something unnatural.

Seeing the changes, Cauldrus did not lower his magic, though, he did not point it at him either.

"Ithil," he said, his voice calm but firm. "What is going on here?"

Ithil smiled. It was not the warm smile of an elf greeting his king. It was the smile of someone who already knew the outcome of something inevitable, like predator to prey.

"Ah, Your Majesty," Ithil said softly. "I was wondering when you would arrive. I knew you’d have some secret way in."

Noticing Ithil’s demeanor, Cauldrus couldn’t help but think the worst.

Cauldrus took a step closer, his grip tightening. "Where are the elders? What have you done to the capital?" His brows grew even more serious as he asked the question.

Ithil spread his arms slightly. "I have given our people the rest they deserve in such times."

Cauldrus’s magic flared as he listened to Ithil. "Enough riddles. Explain yourself."

Ithil sighed, his expression shifting to something almost… pitying. "You are a great king, Cauldrus. Wise, strong, respected… But…" His gaze sharpened. "That is also all you are… and even the part where I said wise and strong, even those aren’t exactly accurate either."

Cauldrus’s eyes narrowed. "What are you saying, Ithil?"

Ithil met his gaze unflinchingly. "The elves need to step into a new age. An age where we are no longer bound by our self imposed old ways. Of course, you already know what I’m talking about." Experience new stories on freewebnovel

A tense silence filled the space between them.

Cauldrus stared at him, realization dawning. "You… You’re the one who sealed the capital."

Ithil nodded. "Yes."

"You put our people to sleep."

"Yes."

"You intend to take the throne for yourself."

Ithil said simply, "Yes."

Cauldrus took a slow breath. His mind appearing to calm a bit, but his expression remained unreadable. "And if I refuse?"

Ithil’s smile faded. His voice was calm, but there was an unshakable finality in his words as he spoke.

"Then I will be forced to remove you, Your Majesty."

The wind whispered through the silent streets, carrying the weight of Ithil’s declaration. Cauldrus stood unmoving, the frost around him thickening as the temperature dropped.

Then, after a long pause, his lips parted, "I never would have expected this day to come, Ithil. As the most favoured of your generation, how could you turn out like this?"

Ithil chuckled, before his expression immediately returned to normal again. "Favoured? Sure, I was born with the most potent talent amongst my peers and even the older generation, but that is only related to my innate ability to use nature magic. Every other thing I have now, I had to work for, sweat and blood strained for it… While I struggle to achieve all these, everyone hides behind the pitiful excuse that I gained it all because of luck alone, instead of focusing on bettering themselves."

"Is that why you are doing this then? Is that the real reason? To some how in someway prove them wrong?" Cauldrus asked, his energy not retreating at all.

Ithil shook his head lightly, locking eyes with Cauldrus again, "forget me, this isn’t about me. It’s about the entire elven race."

"Now, make your choice, there’s no time to waste."

…

While Cauldrus faced off against Ithil on the way forward, the battlefield in the demon territory front was still ongoing towards its peak, as the place had turned into a ruin of shattered earth and burning air. Now, the sky bled into darkness as the last traces of the sun vanished beyond the horizon, leaving only the flickering glow of fires and embers.

Yet, in the heart of the battlefield, where the Demon Lord stood, the night was already absolute.

A suffocating pressure filled the air, an oppressive abyssal force that sent shivers through the warriors of the alliance. The Demon Lord, his towering frame untouched by the onslaught he had faced, gazed down at his enemies with an amused expression.

At that moment, what fascinated him even more was the scene before his very own eyes. A crackling sound, like lightning imprisoned within steel, erupted as Cervic raised his spear. The dark energy surrounding him converged, thickening until it became a visible force, swirling around the weapon like a storm barely contained.

With the spear held in the air with an arm, it soon began to change as the dense demonic abyssal energy grew even more potent. Its form warped, elongating and reshaping. The head of the weapon split into a crescent-shaped axe blade on one side, a spear tip extending from the other. After a brief moment, a majestic and terrifying halberd came into sight, brimming with abyssal energy that pulsed like a living force.

The moment it fully took shape, the battlefield fell silent as a thick wave of abyssal energy burst from the halberd outward in all directions.

The Demon Lord’s crimson eyes flickered with curiosity as he studied the weapon.

"A human wielding abyssal energy at this level… Certainly unheard of." His said, as his gaze sharpened. "Where did you find that weapon?"

The Demon Lord’s smirk widened. "I have never seen a weapon containing such pure, concentrated abyssal energy before. And more interestingly… a human wielding it!"

His words weren’t empty. The abyss was a power beyond mortal comprehension, corruptive, insidious, and bound by rules only those truly connected to it could understand. Yet here was Cervic, standing tall, his body unharmed, his will unshaken, despite the sheer abyssal energy coursing through his weapon and body.

"And how, I wonder," the Demon Lord mused, "does a human even survive handling such power?"

Still, Cervic said nothing.

Instead, he made his move once the time presented itself.

In an instant, the ground beneath Cervic exploded as he launched forward, his halberd slicing through the air with blinding speed. He seemed even faster than before now. The Demon Lord reacted, raising an arm to block the sudden strike.

The impact was powerful enough to send a shockwave tearing through the battlefield. The surrounding warriors staggered as the ground cracked apart, splitting from the force of the blow, the dark energy remaining in the ground itself briefly before decimating.

For the first time since the battle had begun, the Demon Lord has actively defended himself.

The sheer weight behind Cervic’s attack forced the Demon Lord to shift backwards a bit, his hand wreathed in abyssal energy, pressed against the halberd’s shaft. His expression, however, remained composed, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You’re strong, such a great boast in power" he admitted, his voice laced with amusement.

Cervic twisted his grip, forcing the halberd forward, trying to drive the axe blade deeper. The Demon Lord deflected the force with a casual twist of his arm, shifting his stance. He then followed it with a heavy kick, but Cervic managed to squat in time, avoiding being hit.

Taking that opportunity, he followed up instantly, his movements relentless, a blur of dark energy and overwhelming force. Each strike of the halberd was accompanied by crackling abyssal power, black lightning arcing from its edge as it met the Demon Lord’s defenses, pushing him back each time as they moved through the air, the force from their clash bringing much destruction to the earth below.

The alliance forces watched in awe, as it appeared that Cervic was pushing him back. The dwarven kings, the human rulers, the elven warriors, each of them had engaged the Demon Lord and knew how unfathomable his power was, yet here was Cervic, not just standing against him, but forcing him to defend. It was unreal and inspiring to some.

With each strike, Cervic’s strength which was already monstrous seemed to amplify.

The Demon Lord’s amusement soon faded into something more neutral, the air around him shifting. Something unprecedented was happening right before the eyes of everyone, he was already adapting.