Chapter 265: Ashadelon
"Collaboration?"
"With a Demon from the Bottomless Abyss? Do you really think I’m some mindless Magma-brained Red Dragon?"
Kai Xiusu, controlling his Flame Avatar, let out a cold laugh.
"Whether Divine Being or Devil, they’re merely components of the world’s natural order. I see no problem in that."
Jezarslak merely stared at the avatar, speaking as if reciting poetry:
"There’s a line I’ve wanted to say to you for ten years now."
The demon slowly lifted his head. The fire of vengeance burned fiercer in his eyes.
"Kai Xiusu, your mother was slain by a half-Elf, half-Human mongrel. And you—barely escaped, a wretched fugitive. This was an utter desecration of the Noble Dignity of the Red Dragon.
Don’t you want revenge?"
The voice was a void, pulling thoughts into the Bottomless Abyss.
But Kai Xiusu only slightly spread his wings, calm as ever.
"Do you truly believe I lack the power now?
Revenge on Humans? Hundreds of thousands have submitted beneath my Dragon威. Millions across Anzeta tremble under my wings.
Whether to avenge or not—rests entirely in my will. Not in the hands of some pitiful Demon trapped in the Stellar Realm, barely clinging to existence."
Jezarslak shook his head, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.
"What a harsh thing to say. That truly hurts."
He chuckled.
"Indeed. The Path of Fate has changed. Some unseen hand has intervened. You’re no longer the same as before.
Ah… how unfortunate. I spent lifetimes—countless eons—watching the Prime Material Plane’s fate, rehearsing these words a thousand times. And now… they fall on deaf ears."
Kai Xiusu locked eyes with the demon’s gaunt, twisted face, sensing not fear, but utter indifference.
"If that’s all you summoned me for—then our talk ends here. Your feeble, illusory revenge means nothing to me."
"As for collaboration? Look at the Frost Giant. That’s what happens when demons make pacts—reduced to ash, offering everything to the Bottomless Abyss."
The demon stared back, unbothered.
"You mean Koman?"
"Just a lowly disposable asset."
His voice dripped with contempt, as if speaking of an insect he could crush with a thought.
"And I’m no Devil who delights in petty Pact terms.
Did the Frost Giant truly get nothing? In just three years, he achieved strength rivaling a Balor Fire Demon. He now dares launch frontal charges against enemies he once could never hope to defeat. Is that not glory? And what did he pay? Merely a trivial amount of life."
He paused, his voice rising with fervor.
"For me, his only purpose was to bring you here—to the Stellar Realm."
The demon’s eyes burned with intensity.
"And you… you are different. My perfect Collaboration partner. You are my Fated Covenant. Together, we shall become New Kings. Architects of a New World."
Jezarslak’s voice was fervent, sincere—no trace of deception, not even the faintest flaw in his emotion. Even Kai Xiusu found no crack in the mask.
Kai Xiusu’s pupils flickered. He smirked coldly.
"No wonder you’re called the ‘Lord of Vengeance’—you can justify discarding your pawn so elegantly."
He tilted his head.
"So, if I collaborate with you… what do I gain? Become another foolish Balor Fire Demon?"
Jezarslak ignored the Red Dragon’s mockery, instead grinning with excitement.
"Of course not, my beloved Collaboration partner."
"Do you know of Ashadelon?"
Kai Xiusu’s expression froze—but he hid it well.
He’d heard whispers of that name in old legends. A Red Dragon of unknown Challenge Rating, known as the “Heart of Profanity,” dwelling in a mysterious realm called the Bastion of Infant Spirits, deep within the Sea of Stars. Some cults even worshipped him as a Divine Being.
In the old 4.0 era, over a dozen elite players—each surpassing level twenty—had accepted a quest to assault the fortress. All were utterly destroyed. The full-party defeat became a legendary scandal across forums.
But Jezarslak’s deep eyes seemed to pierce through the Flame Avatar, reaching into the true Red Dragon form in the Prime Material Plane. He saw the flicker of recognition in Kai Xiusu’s expression.
"You’ve heard of him," the demon murmured, chuckling lowly.
The heavy iron chains binding him clanked softly. Slowly, the demon raised his skeletal arm. In the distance, waves of Chaos Mist surged and coalesced, forming a vast, swirling curtain in midair.
Kai Xiusu tensed instantly, preparing to sever the connection with his Flame Avatar.
But Jezarslak saw through him again, laughing.
"Relax. It’s just a little demonstration."
Kai Xiusu steeled himself. He built mental barriers—this was no game. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be led blindly into the Bottomless Abyss by this ancient, cunning demon.
He turned the Flame Avatar’s gaze toward the sky, toward the swirling chaos.
The mist churned, forming a grotesque, vivid scene.
At first glance, it resembled an ancient Red Dragon in the prime of its power—yet distorted in ways that chilled the soul.
The dragon had a demonic face. On its chest, a terrible scar—a gaping wound shaped like a massive, winged humanoid species: a Balor Fire Demon.
Its eyes were twin orbs of burning light, and sparks flickered between its claws and fangs.
"Such a masterpiece," Jezarslak breathed, filled with awe.
"This is Ashadelon—a Red Dragon of infinite strength, consumed by arrogance. Mortally wounded, he summoned a Balor Fire Demon and bound it to his chest—making it a second heart. Thus, he gained near-immortality."
He laughed.
"I knew that poor devil—Emet, the Soul-Eater. He was powerful. I once considered devouring him. But now? He screams in agony, trapped forever within Ashadelon’s chest."
The demon spoke with glee, as if recounting a favorite memory.
"Indeed… he is powerful," Kai Xiusu said aloud, gazing at the monstrous vision. He nodded, but his mind remained guarded.
If this “Revenant Demon” were embedded in my chest… would the consciousness controlling this body still be me?
Or would it be the same paradox as “The Ship of Theseus”—where every part is replaced by Chaos, every bone reshaped by Abyssal energy… would the new being still be me?
Koman was already back in the Abyss.
Perhaps the original Kai Xiusu had died long ago—killed not by blade or fire, but by the sweet, seductive lies of this “Lord of Vengeance.”
He thought he was avenging his mother.
But in truth, he’d already been twisted by Abyssal will—his mind warped, his soul consumed, a willing sacrifice to expand the Bottomless Abyss.
In the moment the demon was lost in his own illusion, Kai Xiusu quietly opened his Character Sheet, his gaze sharpening. The 【Heaven’s Judgment Dragon Eye】 pulsed faintly.
【Lord of Vengeance – Jezarslak】
Status: Sealed
Challenge Rating: ????
Kai Xiusu’s pupils snapped wide—his breath caught.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
