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Chapter 267: The Body of Karex
Jezarslak’s voice was wild with exhilaration, his tone bordering on madness as he cried, “Do you know why I dared to invade the Prime Material Plane in my True Form?”
Kai Xiusu remained silent.
Clearly, the demon had no intention of allowing him to answer. Without pause, he pressed on.
“Here… sealed within this island…”
“Is far more than just me!”
With a grotesque, skeletal gesture, Jezarslak raised his translucent, emaciated arm once more. Behind him, the shadowy outline of a monstrous demon flickered into existence.
As the heavy iron chains clanked and rattled, the intricate runes etched into the stone flared with blinding light, searing the demon’s gaunt form. Yet, despite the agony, he poured forth an overwhelming torrent of Chaos Strength—unstoppable, relentless.
The entire Floating Island trembled violently. Distant, towering mountain peaks cracked open like shattered porcelain, then exploded into fragments. Rock and dust surged into the air, forming a choking, billowing cloud.
When the dust finally settled, beneath the vast emptiness of the void, the true form of the being emerged—immense, unfathomable, beyond imagination.
“Impossible…” Kai Xiusu stood frozen, whispering in disbelief.
His expression twisted. Even his True Form’s breath grew urgent, strained.
On the horizon of the Floating Island, a colossal Dragon body rose like a mountain range—familiar, yet utterly beyond anything he had ever imagined. The unmistakable silhouette of a Red Dragon, its head alone stretching nearly a hundred meters long, its spine lined with jagged bone spines that rose like a chain of jagged peaks.
If the entirety of its buried form were revealed, this Red Dragon would stretch for over a kilometer—far exceeding Kai Xiusu’s conception of even the greatest dragonkind.
This ancient Red Dragon, from a forgotten era, still strained to break free from the island’s grip. Its massive claws stretched outward, forming the island’s highest and most treacherous peak. Its maw—vast as a chasm leading to the abyss—gaped open in a silent, agonized roar.
Yet, the sky-spanning wings were bound by chains so thick they seemed forged from solid darkness. The body itself was encased in unyielding stone, crushed beneath the weight of divine seals.
The body was dead—lifeless. Its scales had lost their luster, dull and cracked. The great eyes, once like lakes of molten fire, were now hollow, lifeless, stagnant like stagnant pools. Only a faint, pulsing light flickered weakly beneath its chest.
This was not just a dragon.
This was the True Form of the Floating Island.
More precisely—this was a Divine Corpse, adrift in the Stellar Realm.
Jezarslak turned toward the distant horizon, as though gazing upon a breathtaking spectacle. Ecstasy danced across his face, unrestrained and feverish.
“Praise the Lord of Flames, the Utter Null, the World Cleanser—Karex.”
“He is the symbol of pure strength and primordial destruction. The Dragon God of annihilation. The cataclysm that returns in cycles to the Prime Material Plane, unleashing the fire of purging upon the impure.”
The demon spoke as though reciting an epic hymn, his voice swelling with reverence, echoing through the void like a sacred chant. He was both poet and fanatic—unhinged in devotion.
Then, with a confident, almost triumphant air, he turned to face the stunned Red Dragon Incarnation.
“Ten thousand years ago, Karex descended upon the Stellar Realm, seeking to purify this material plane. I seized that moment to follow, to fulfill the will of the Bottomless Abyss.”
“But Karex overestimated his strength… and underestimated the cunning of the gods. They trapped him. Forced to abandon his mighty body, he fled with most of his divine power—banished to the desolate Outer Plane, The Raging Void.”
“Yet this body—its bloodline untouched by decay, its ancestral power untouched by time—was left behind. Hidden from all, even by the Divine Beings themselves. Only through the Stellar Prism can its coordinates be reached. Even Bahamut and Tiamat remain ignorant of its existence.”
“Though millennia have passed, and the Malevolent Curse has eroded much of its divine essence into the Astral Void… a thousandth of its Dragon Vein Power remains. And that remnant—though faint—is more than enough to make you the most terrifying dragon in this Prime Material Plane… at least across the continent of Ailezegai.”
Jezarslak locked eyes with Kai Xiusu, his gaze predatory, as if watching prey already caught in a trap. His voice dropped low, rich with magnetism.
“So, what do you say, Kai Xiusu?”
“This… is my greatest诚意.”
Kai Xiusu remained rooted, his mind racing. His True Form in the material realm exhaled white-hot smoke, and his淡金色 eyes trembled faintly.
Yet, he suppressed the deep-seated greed surging from his Bloodline, forcing himself to remain calm.
This was the original body of Karex—something even Tiamat would covet. A foundation for divinity itself.
Would the so-called “Lord of Vengeance” truly hand this to him… for nothing but a mere collaboration?
All gifts fate bestows come with a hidden price.
And the gifts of demons—those are always soaked in blood and Chaos.
This corpse was not诚意.
It was a trap—centuries in the making. A feast prepared for a perfect vessel. And he… would be the chosen one.
Kai Xiusu’s gaze returned to the demon, now sharp with quiet resolve. But he did not reveal it.
Instead, he activated his 【Master of Persuasion】 ability, blending it with his innate Reality Warping charm. With flawless acting, he let his face twist into a ravenous, trembling expression.
Kai Xiusu stared at the colossal corpse, his eyes wide with hunger—like a starving dog eyeing a feast.
“Jezarslak… you… your诚意 is accepted. With this strength, I am willing to merge with you.”
“How… how do we proceed with this collaboration?”
He spoke with feverish urgency, his voice trembling with eagerness.
At last, Jezarslak smiled—satisfied, delighted.
“Do not rush, my beloved collaborator. I prepared this Pact thirteen centuries ago. You needn’t keep up this pathetic disguise. Come in your True Form.”
“I’ve already made great concessions. Is this not the least you can offer in return?”
From the depths of his eyes, a swirling current of Abyssal Chaos erupted. In the air, jagged, writhing symbols formed—words forged in darkness. They coalesced into an ancient, yellowed scroll, its surface cracked and worn.
At the bottom, the name Jezarslak was written—but part of it was veiled in mist, hidden from sight.
“Fine.” Kai Xiusu replied, blunt and decisive.
But on his Character Sheet, a new message flashed in dark red:
[You have unlocked an Advanced Career Path: 【Oathweaver - Demon Lord】]
[You have bound a Pact with a Fiend from the Lower Planes. Such beings crave corruption and destruction—eventually, even your own downfall.]
[The Demon Lord you have sworn allegiance to will become your Lord and Master, bestowing upon you strength.]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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