Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Chapter 614 - Solrem, The Sunken Half Isles

Piercing through the void upon Little-big Ty, the sounds of shattering glass awoke me from my cultivation. Blinking my eyes into focus, a blinding light tore at my retinas. Forced to squint at the shimming Azure that was the sun, my eyes landed upon the world of blue below.

I froze upon my dragon's back and held onto her razor-sharp scales. "Where is the Land?" I asked, shooting Kurt and Sigfried a sturdy glance, but no words seemed to echo from their lips. Shaking my head at their uselessness, I turned to Arken, paler than ash. "Do you know?"

Jerking the half-dead Captain awake, a painful growl left his chapped lips. Lying a single step from his grave, Arken opened his unfocused eyes, consumed in an eerie fog," temple, look for the temple." he muttered, slipping back into a coma.

Lilith glanced at me and patted little Ty, "You can change back now, little one. We can handle the trip down." Shimmering in light, she returned to her chibi appearance and lept onto my shoulders.

Noticing Arkanos's sullen appearance, I could not help but notice that she was still not a god. I was sure talent was not the problem, but rather a lack of divinity. Patting her tiny head, the silver-headed dragon peered up at me with a helpless eye. Passing my hands through a waterfall of silk, she leaned into my hand.

"Does Arkanos wish to be strong?" Lilith stated evenly, masking the sinister intent behind her smile. She lifted her over her head and onto her neck. Holding onto Arkanos's two tiny legs as my lips curled down.

"Mama Two has a way?" She meekly asked, and Lilith gave a slight nod. Remaining silent, I did not bother to say anything. As childish as Arkanos was, she was an intelligent dragon. She, like Ty, understands what it means to pay the price.

"Of course, have you known me to lie?" She slickly answered, glancing up at the timid look of the little girl around her neck. She chuckled, "Fret not, little one. When we return to the Holy Sword Sect, Mama will grant you everything you desire and more."

"Ark,' Ty feebly muttered, gripping my hair with trembling hands. I could not help but grow amazed. Never would I have thought Ty would be worried. It seems she did like Arkanos, despite being a bully.

Twisting my gaze off the foreboding pressure, I summonsed the Spear of Pestilence and plunged it through the skull of Arken. Splashing blood over my feet, I twisted the jagged head of my spear through his head, tearing open a hole in his skull. Dismissing my spear, I shot the disgusted-looking Kurt an amiable grin. "Do you have anything to say?"

Witnessing the corpse of Arken starting to rot and blister with boils. I took quick note of the disgusting worms burrowing around his flesh.

"I think." he hesitantly voiced, "I think I might actually hate you. You just do whatever you want, don't you?"

"Kurt," Sigfried warned, clenching his shoulder.

"I never did understand how people could be so empathetic. I struggle with such things. It's so easy to recognize and grasp, but I simply lack that ability to truly feel something. Humanity, in my eyes, is just filled with contradictions. It's disgusting, truly.

"We hunt and feast upon helpless beasts to the point of extinction and justify ourselves as superior, claiming that these beasts are just mindless animals. But it's a sin when it comes to an animal with above-average intelligence. Why does it matter if a human is conscious or not? Life is life. You don't think about it when you hunt for food. You are, after all, a superior creature. Yet you have the gall to judge me? Do you not see the hypocrisy? Why should we lookout for the weak? Why should I waste my time to make others feel good when I can make myself happy?"

"If we don't, then society will fall into chaos," Kurt hissed, glaring with piercing dark eyes.

"And is that not the way of us cultivators? Based upon that guilt, you held when you came to me about this mission, I can say for sure you are not any different. Tell me what innocent man did you destroy to get to where you are. Grow the fuck up, you useless idiot. You are not a mortal that lives by society's standards of values. All cultivators are monsters. It all comes down to if you are willing to show that monster."

Trailing past Kurt, who stood still, I snickered, "Although I am curious who is that man, who has you so regretful? Truly I wonder what will happen when I ask him?"

"Arsene, I warn you," Kurt suddenly barked, releasing a dreadful power that surged through space. " Silven is mine."

Peering into his distraught heart, fired up with cold wrath, I could vaguely see images of a small child brimming in tears. Draped in tattered rags filled with filth, the young child burrowed through trash on the street. Clawing for food, with all he had, a sudden voice that shook Kurt's very core called.

Somewhat surprised by what I was witnessing, I repeatably blinked my eyes. Kurt was from the slums! Yet he acts so high and mighty!

Bursting into laughter, I could not help but see the irony. How was a child from the harsh slums so moral? I would assume those that live on the streets to be nothing more than selfish bastards. Even if they are not, they would definitely put themselves first. Hmmm, maybe that is what happened.

"Lower your fangs, Kurt." I patiently warned, showing no concern to his rising divinity towering over me like the flood. "Arkanos is watching. You wouldn't want me to show her the image of me caving in your skull. I am sure you two have bonded after these hundred years."

"Papa, let's go! Ty is bored!" My dragon demanded, pulling at my hair. Saving both the life of Kurt and helping out her little sister, I nodded.

Soaring down towards the world, I did not bother to put a barrier as I pierced through the Exosphere and the thermosphere of the planet of Solrem. Enjoying the searing heat, Ty remained rather indifferent about it. As a dragon, I was sure such little heat did nothing to her godly body.

Zooming down till we touched upon the water, I felt the cool winds gush over me as the wave splashed back and forth, casting over a mist of salty water over me. Filling me with a refreshing sensation.