SOTBW - 136

Kieron circled around the robust slave, inspecting whether there were any problems with the body. The slave stood still, his mouth shut, remaining silent under Kieron’s keen aura. It was unclear what Kieron was planning, but the slave figured nothing major would happen.

This made sense since Kieron had bought the slave at a high price. It seemed like Kieron couldn’t be bothered to haggle with the slave dealer, so he simply placed a pouch of gold coins down and concluded the deal swiftly. At least until the slave had fully paid off his worth, Kieron would probably refrain from whipping or starving him.

The slave, curious about what his new master did, made eye contact with Kieron. Surprised, the slave quickly averted his gaze.

In that moment, with a single motion of Kieron’s hand, the slave’s breath ceased.

Kieron watched the slave’s body collapse onto the cold floor. The slave had a remarkably sturdy physique, growing like a beast, and was perfect for his new purpose.

Kieron closed his eyes. White smoke emanated from the lifeless body, and soon Kieron’s own body collapsed to the ground.

The white smoke hovered for a moment before drifting into the body of the dead slave. The dead slave, now with his eyeballs rolled back, twitched his fingers and stared up at the lavishly decorated ceiling. No longer just a nameless slave, it was now Kieron.

Kieron moved his new limbs, testing them out to see if they responded well, and then looked back at his previous body. The body that had once been transformed into a Serith was now like a tattered old cloth. If he had continued using that body, he would have fully become Serith.

Though Kieron could maintain his own consciousness and didn’t crave cannibalism like the other Serith, as a Serith, he was certain he would instinctively seek to devour humans.

Staggering to his feet, Kieron clenched and released his fist. His senses were still not fully restored. After retrieving a magic stone from his abandoned body, Kieron tried using magic. A small droplet of water formed on his rough palm.

Kieron smiled contentedly and attached the magic stone to his waist. Changing his face with magic, Kieron looked into a mirror. But as soon as his face morphed into Kieron Bastronia’s, the sound of breaking glass echoed above.

Kieron, who had been smoothing his hair with his palm while checking his body, looked up at the ceiling. This was a house Kieron had prepared to conduct his experiments in peace. There were slaves in the basement, but no one else was in the mansion.

A thief? Kieron squinted and glared at the upper floor, then faintly smiled. This was perfect. He had wanted to test how much magic his new body could absorb. Moreover, if the intruder managed to survive, he could use them as experimental material, making the thief’s visit quite convenient.

Kieron eagerly attempted to teleport. Arriving in the room where the sound had come from, Kieron calmly surveyed his surroundings. There was no sign of life, but in the center of the room, a shattered wine glass lay discarded.

Standing still like a wooden puppet, Kieron stared intently at the broken glass. Where had it come from? Since Kieron’s body didn’t require food or drink, he had left nothing in the mansion for his experimental research.

Kieron narrowed his eyes as he reached toward the direction where the glass had fallen. The shattered glass pieces trembled and then flew into Kieron’s hand.

Kieron grasped the stem of the glass and tilted his head. Faint, intricate patterns appeared around the broken bowl.

It seemed difficult to make out what the patterns were in the dim room, so Kieron stepped onto the rug, bathed in moonlight. As soon as his foot touched the rug, the patterns on the glass glowed white.

The etched patterns on the glass were extremely intricate magical runes.

Kieron, taken aback, threw the glass, but in an instant, the entire room was surrounded by the magic circles. Black vines rose from the floor and bound Kieron’s legs. Kieron hastily tried to cut through the vines but vomited blood as a black thorn pierced his chest and abdomen.

The snake-like vines wrapped tightly around Kieron’s neck and arms. His mouth, stained bright red, clenched tightly as Kieron squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them wide. Fortunately, since he had just acquired his new body, his senses were dulled, so the pain wasn’t overwhelming.

Spitting the blood that had pooled in his mouth, Kieron glared forward. In the darkness, beast-like yellow eyes gleamed. Kieron gritted his teeth, straining his arms that were bound by the vines, veins popping in his neck.

“…Mahilen.”

The name, hated for nearly a thousand years, made Mahilen’s figure become clear in the darkness. Mahilen, with his hands casually shoved in his pockets, slowly walked forward.

Standing at the edge of the rug, Mahilen looked at Kieron with his cold eyes. Kieron laughed manically like a madman, but then clenched his teeth as a sharp pain pierced his heart.

Mahilen reached out and grabbed the magic stone hanging from Kieron’s waist.

“It’s been a while. Has it really been two thousand years since that day?”

“Ha, haha, yeah. About that long… Your disgusting face hasn’t changed at all… even that silver hair you dyed to console Emaydis…”

Just as Kieron mentioned the silver hair, Mahilen gripped Kieron’s heart. As Mahilen’s hand crushed the ribs and dug deep, trying to burst the heart, Kieron let out a horrifying scream.

Kieron tried to abandon his new body and flee, but he couldn’t use magic. The entire room was a huge torture chamber under Mahilen’s control.

If Kieron abandoned this body now, his consciousness would forcibly shift to the main Serith body. Returning to the Noctis Fortress wouldn’t be difficult, but it would take time, so Kieron had to find a way to escape this place, even if it meant losing a limb or two.

Kieron gasped for breath, struggling to glare at Mahilen. He hadn’t expected Mahilen to track him down using magic. Mahilen’s magic had been sealed, so he shouldn’t even be able to mimic magic…

While Kieron was panting and trying to find a way to escape, his gaze fixed on the magic stone that Mahilen had taken from him.

“How did you do it?”

At that moment, Mahilen quietly asked.

“How are you still alive, without dying?”

Kieron had been devoured by Bersha.

By the wrongly resurrected monster, Bersha Guicillio.

Mahilen and Mackanon had once tracked down Kieron, who had turned the once-celebrated genius magician, Bersha, into a monster, but they couldn’t find him. How could they find someone who had already been digested inside the belly of a monster?

But Kieron was alive.

And now, he dared to be here in the Noctis Fortress.

Mahilen tightened his grip on Kieron’s heart and asked again.

“How did you return from the brink of reincarnation? Didn’t Bersha devour you?”

But Kieron didn’t answer. He just laughed. Mahilen furrowed his brows and flicked his fingers.

A black thorn fell from the ceiling and pierced through Kieron’s torso. The entire floor became soaked in hot blood, but Kieron didn’t seem to be in pain. Instead, he let his head droop and sighed softly.

“…This brings back memories. The time when I killed Sainth.”

Kieron murmured as though longing for that moment, and Mahilen raised an eyebrow. Kieron, tears streaming from his pain, looked up at Mahilen.

His pale lavender eyes, just like Sylin’s, now glowed with madness, having long since lost their original warmth. Kieron burst into laughter.

“How relieved I was when I saw Emaydis crying, holding Sainth’ dismembered body… How happy I was, thinking that I could finally draw you all into my research… Do you know how, how, how happy I was?”

At Kieron’s mad rant, Mahilen silently clenched his fist. From beneath the rug, black thorns sprouted again and pierced through Kieron. But Kieron, now used to the pain, smirked with a blood-red mouth.

“…You should be grateful to me. That’s only reasonable, don’t you think?”

“What?”

“You were happy when Sainth died. You were happy because you could monopolize Emaydis, right?”

Kieron pushed his head forward, as if expecting Mahilen to answer truthfully.

Mahilen remained silent.

It was true that Mahilen had been jealous of Sainth. Even now, he hated Sainth Philux. If Sainth hadn’t died, Sylin wouldn’t have suffered.

To die so easily while monopolizing Emaydis’ affection… If all the tears Emaydis had shed for Sainth were gathered, they could fill a lake. That’s why Mahilen hated Sainth.

Sainth, who had sworn never to leave Emaydis’ side, and who had promised that he would recognize Emaydis immediately if they were reborn…

Mahilen, wearing a displeased expression, fixed his gaze on the floor. It was right to end all the tragedies as Emaydis had wished.

Thousands of years had already passed. Throughout that long time, Mahilen had watched Emaydis, reincarnated, die painfully again and again.

Though it had been Mahilen’s own choice to witness the birth and death of his beloved, Mahilen, unable to save any of the ‘Emaydises,’ cursed his sealed body and became accustomed to despair and resignation.

Najane was the last Emaydis.

Every time Mahilen looked at Najane, conflicting emotions surged within him.

The joy of finally being able to tie up this long tale, the guilt of having to watch Najane bear all the responsibility and pain, and the lingering regret over an unattainable love…

Although Mahilen knew he had to choose one, he couldn’t help but be trapped in the foolish fantasy that Najane, remembering his past as Emaydis Bastronia, might call him again, just as he once did.

Though Mahilen sympathized with Maximón’s plight, he deeply despised him for the thought that he could never be loved by Najane. He wished that Najane would carry all the sorrow and prevent the world’s destruction, yet hoped that he would not suffer.

This is punishment.

A punishment for burning an entire city to the ground, killing countless people.

Perhaps Sylin doesn’t know. That by loving Emaydis, Mahilen finally began to receive the punishment for that day. That since meeting Emaydis, he has been enduring an unending punishment…

As Mahilen fell silent, Kieron, thinking he had struck a nerve, giggled.

“You should have monopolized Emaydis’ heart when Sainth wasn’t around. Stupid, weak little dragon. Think about what you lost because you were careless. In the end, Najane Schnicks chose Maximón, not you…”

While Kieron rambled on, he took a deep breath. His nails dug into his heart. Kieron gasped in pain, arching his back.

Mahilen sighed briefly. Kieron felt a significant amount of magical energy gathering inside his heart. His body grew unbearably hot. Mahilen was planning to reduce Kieron to ashes.

“Kieron.”

The calm yet sharp voice pierced Kieron’s ear.

“If you hadn’t killed Sainth, the world wouldn’t have come to this, and Bersha would have reincarnated without pain.”