Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

Something in the air felt wrong, and he could feel a premonition with his senses that something foreboding would happen, and a battle of life was inevitable.

He leaned back slightly while his eyes narrowed at the distant horizon.

It's coming, he thought grimly, his gaze distant.

A battle… maybe not in the next moment, but soon. A storm is brewing, and we are walking straight into it.

The dark spectral carriage continued its journey and left behind the sprawling and walled expanse of the demon city, whose edges disappeared into the distance like an ancient behemoth resting under the sky.

As the haunting silhouette of towers and spires receded, Ethan turned his gaze to the endless plains ahead.

Looking at the dry savannah-like lands, he let out a soft breath, and his mind drifted as the rhythmic motion of the carriage lulled him into reflection.

So much happened in just a single day…

From casual strolls through the city's bustling streets to fights in the adventure guild, making enemies, disguising themselves with masks, his loving union with Virelle for now and ever, meeting two amazingly beautiful women, narrow escapes, and veiled threats.

His world had once again shifted, and he barely recognized the version of himself who had entered that city not long ago.

Above, the sun burned a golden trail across the afternoon sky and cast amber hues across the sprawling savannah.

As the carriage moved, a splash of unexpected color appeared on the horizon.

It was a small green forest nestled like an emerald gem amid the golden waves of grass.

Ethan's eyes lit up faintly, and a rare and genuine smile tugged at his lips as he leaned slightly out of the carriage window.

It had been eight long years.

Eight years since he had seen the vivid and untainted greens of a living forest.

Not the twisted black trees of the Dark Forest, where the very air tasted of twisted and corrupted darkness, a natural sense of rot, and murder.

And certainly not the heavy, cursed shadows of the vampire lands' Stygian Woods, where despair and chaos clung to every branch like mist.

This was different.

Here, life breathed in the leaves. The scent of earth, of dew, of growing things... it stirred something deep in him.

A forgotten peace.

As the sun began its slow descent and bled oranges and reds into the sky, the carriage finally entered the green haven.

The forest embraced them with open arms as its branches arched above like guardians, and leaves whispered stories in the breeze.

They moved through the thick, vibrant foliage as the shadows played along their path.

Birds chirped faintly in the distance, and the air grew cooler while carrying the gentle scent of moss and wildflowers.

Then, through a break in the trees, the soft glimmer of water caught their eyes.

It was a lake.

Its surface was a clear, crystalline blue that mirrored the fiery sky above.

It lay nestled in a quiet clearing, untouched and serene.

It was the kind of place that seemed too beautiful to exist in the chaotic continent they lived in.

Ethan glanced at the girls and nodded.

Without needing to speak, they all understood.

They would stop and enjoy as the earlier plan to enjoy in the city for around three to four days was scrapped, and the time to reach the Abyssal Sanctum was still enough.

As the carriage rolled to a halt, the tension in his chest loosened ever so slightly.

The battle would come, and the blood of his enemies would flow.

But for this one brief moment… they had peace.

They alighted on the soft meadow beside the shimmering lake and basked in the final golden rays of the setting sun.

Virelle hummed softly as she pulled out small wrapped snacks from her spatial pouch with her graceful fingers and a serene expression.

A woven carpet was spread on the grass, and they sat and enjoyed the cooling breeze that carried the soft rustle of leaves and the fragrance of damp earth.

The moment was peaceful, but to Ethan's senses, it felt like the calm before a storm.

Suddenly, Velcy rose with a slight smile and brushing off her dress, she made her way towards the lake with a bronze pot in hand.

Her steps were light but quick as hunger and thirst gnawed at her, and as an Acolyte Mage still early in her ascension path, she was less capable of suppressing such needs.

And to fulfill that, the glistening blue lake beckoned with its cool promise.

But suddenly, the serenity was shattered in an instant.

A faint and almost inaudible hiss like the whisper of a dagger through silk cut through the air.

Before Velcy could react, the waters of the lake erupted with a wet roar.

From the depths, a monstrous black head surged forth.

It glistened with slime and shadows as its jaws yawned open with sickening speed.

It was the size of a thick water tank, and its purple fangs curved and dripping with a venomous fluid that sizzled where it touched the earth.

A wave of poisonous miasma exploded outward and coated the air with an acrid stench that turned the wind foul.

The killing intent that burst forth was almost physical as a storm of slaughter and death blanketed the meadow in dread.

Velcy's eyes widened, and her bronze pot slipped from her hand.

Her body was locked in place.

For a moment, she couldn't scream and couldn't breathe.

Her mind was a white void of terror as her ice-blue pupils contracted to pinpoints while her body was paralyzed in the face of annihilation.

The black serpent lunged and aimed its jaws with the purpose of swallowing her whole.

But before death could reach her, a sharp CLINK echoed across the meadow.

A black chain shot through the tall green grass like a whip of shadow in a lightning-fast motion and coiled around her slim waist.