Chapter 404 – Fate Chest
“Ogre’s Finger, Multi-Headed Serpent Lizard’s Scale, Yeti’s Heart.”
“Soul-Eating Herb.”
“Succubus Feather.”
The Lich muttered in a rasping whisper, frantically rummaging through chests and cabinets.
Dozens of bloodied hands flailed in midair, twitching like living things, helping him search for the necessary components of his spell.
The entire Castle of Weeping Souls came to life—wandering spirits drifted through the halls, armored Deathwardens marched in silent procession, floating heads bobbed through the corridors, and foul zombies shuffled through the ruins, scouring every corner for his lost ingredients.
Now, Orestes was certain—
The Dragon had found him!
An Ancient Red Dragon, a being of terrifying power, was about to descend upon the Castle of Weeping Souls. Worse still, the beast held his Fate Chest in its claw. He had to prepare—thoroughly—for this confrontation.
The Lich had, of course, considered the worst-case scenario: the theft of his Fate Chest.
He had prepared countless sinister spells—【Soul Haunting Incantation】, 【Death Pursuit】—designed to curse the thief, hunt down the stolen chest, and reclaim what was his.
“There’s still a chance… there’s still a chance… this isn’t a Deathtrap!”
“It’s just a greedy Red Dragon.”
“Dragons are the most greedy of all creatures. Perhaps… perhaps all I need to do is offer a few insignificant gold coins… and I can buy back my Fate Chest.”
He muttered these words to himself, clinging to the faintest hope.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The entire Castle of Weeping Souls shuddered violently. Shelves toppled, bottles and jars shattered, and even the Lich staggered, barely able to stand.
Chunks of debris rained from the ceiling. Lamps swung wildly, their chains snapping one by one.
“What… what is this?!”
“Impossible!”
“The Castle of Weeping Souls is sealed with Prohibitions! I cast over a hundred Protective Spells! How could anyone have entered?!”
He felt the distortion in space.
Furious, the Lich roared—his voice hoarse, trembling with rage. The bloodied hands in the air trembled violently, terrified of being devoured by their master’s wrath.
Then—silence.
All the undead froze, rigid in place.
“You worthless fools!”
“This… this is…”
Orestes turned, his emaciated frame locking in horror. His entire body began to shake.
Before him, the Red Dragon tore open the fabric of space with ease, shattering countless Prohibitions with a single, brutal motion. It stepped through with arrogant, overwhelming presence, filling half the grand hall. The creature’s massive form crushed vials, scattered potions, and shattered gear beneath its claws.
Malevolent spells activated automatically—twisted faces emerged from the shadows, ghostly forms blurred into existence, and thick black mist poured from every corner. But the Red Dragon merely flicked its wings.
Roar—
Wail—
Scream—
An invisible force field flared. The curses dissolved into nothing, their agonized cries fading into silence.
The Red Dragon loomed above the Lich, its overwhelming height casting a shadow across the chamber. In its claw, it held a plain wooden box—unassuming, ordinary.
That box… was Orestes’s Fate Chest.
His source of immortality.
The vessel binding his soul to the Prime Material Plane.
And the only thing capable of ending him.
Kai Xiusu grinned, revealing jagged teeth. His pale golden eyes glared down with merciless dominance.
“Orestes.”
“Finally… I’ve found you.”
“You seem to enjoy watching from the shadows, don’t you?”
Orestes raised his staff, staring up. His withered, decaying face managed a strained, trembling smile.
“You… you know me? This is… an honor.”
“Emperor, there must be some misunderstanding. That mausoleum was merely a storage chamber for my Fate Chest. The traps and Eye Demons were only meant to deter ignorant mortals. Surely, a being of your greatness would never…”
“No.”
Kai Xiusu cut him off.
“Lich. There has never been any misunderstanding. I came for you.”
He toyed with the Fate Chest in his claw. Every motion sent shivers through Orestes—any misstep, any flicker of imperfection, and his spiritual soul would be utterly destroyed. All his centuries of work would vanish into dust.
The Lich trembled. He could feel his soul trembling inside the chest.
“Your Majesty… what do you want?”
“We’ve never had a feud. So you must have a need.”
“Anything—gold, spells, my experimental成果—I’ll give it all. Just… please return my Fate Chest.”
He spoke with careful, trembling humility.
Kai Xiusu shook his head gently, smiling.
“This isn’t up to you to decide.”
“Whether we have a history… doesn’t matter.”
“In truth, your existence is illogical. Unacceptable. I must eliminate it. I will not allow any uncontrolled power to exist within the Empire of Ashen—especially not one that could threaten its safety, ignite an Undead Cataclysm.”
Orestes lowered his head.
“Your Majesty… you’re being… overly harsh. I’ve lived in Anzeta for centuries. And I don’t speak only for myself—I represent the Will of the Lord of Bones.”
He rubbed his staff, revealing the pale-white skull insignia etched into its surface—the hollow eye sockets deep and endless.
The staff was no ordinary weapon—it bore a fragment of divinity: the Scepter of Plague of Milcor.
He was invoking the Lord of Bones, the divine entity that had once turned him into a Lich, seeking its protection against the monstrous Red Dragon before him.
“Orestes.”
The skull on the staff began to twist.
Ha… ha…
“Even a Divine Being cannot reach into the Empire of Ashen.”
Kai Xiusu sneered.
【Empire Domain】 descended like a divine verdict. The connection between staff and god was severed—cracked, severed, annihilated.
Orestes’s face twisted in despair.
Within the Empire of Ashen, the Emperor held a status akin to a god. He could even block the divine power of Milcor.
“Lich,” the Red Dragon said, voice cold and final, “cease your futile resistance. You have two choices.”
With slow, deliberate motion, the dragon lifted its claw, raising the Fate Chest into view—Orestes’s eyes wide with unbearable tension, his breath caught in his throat.
“Submit to me. Bow to the rule of the Empire of Ashen. Surrender everything—your knowledge, your power, your very self.”
It paused.
Then, with a sharp, deliberate motion, the dragon pressed its claw-tip against the wooden box—sharp, precise, ready to pierce.
“No—!”
The Lich screamed, collapsing to the ground. His soul screamed in terror—real, primal fear.
Since becoming a Lich, Orestes had not known such fear in centuries.
He felt it—truly felt it.
The Red Dragon would destroy his Fate Chest.
It would kill him.
If that claw pierced the box, his spiritual soul would be obliterated. All his centuries of life, all his power, all his existence—gone.
But—just as the claw hovered, poised to strike—
The dragon halted.
Kai Xiusu glanced down at the fallen Lich with cold, contemptuous disdain.
“Or… choose complete annihilation.”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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