NOVEL WEB Chapter 710: An Envoy
"Alright, let's see what you're really capable of," Nox said calmly, tapping the golden ticket against the serpent's scaled head.
A golden light enveloped the serpent's body and the transformation began to occur. Under the stunned gaze of all those present, the adorable baby blue python began to grow.
By the time the light subsided, what appeared before everyone was no longer the baby blue serpent. Rather, it was a giant azure python that struck fear into all those who laid eyes on it.
Solora's orb-like eyes glittered with amazement as she gazed at her new body, a proud, arrogant look on her face.
She felt like an evil empress in that moment.
"Wow, she's beautiful and scary at the same time."
"She looks familiar… it's as if I've seen a python like that before."
When Nox heard that, his ears perked up slightly. His eyes flashed as he recalled Solora's mother—the serpent that had attacked the town years ago.
"Her mother looked exactly like this… only now, she appears even more intimidating," he mumbled to himself as he decided to take a look at her new skills.
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[Mirage Split] (Ultimate-tier):
The Empress can split into 3–5 ethereal serpent clones, each capable of independent action and basic attacks. Clones deal 50% of base stats and last for 15 seconds. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
[Queen's Gaze] (Control-type Skill – Advanced-tier):
A hypnotic stare that can immobilize lower-ranked foes and weaken their mental defenses. Deals minor psychic damage over time. Perfect for interrogation or dominance displays.
[Torrential Wrath] (Burst AoE – Elite-tier):
Unleashes a rotating spiral of pressurized water blades in all directions. Deals massive magic damage and stuns for 2 seconds. Cooldown: 90 seconds.
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By completing her evolution, Solora had gained three powerful new skills. Each one of them was capable of causing massive disruption on any battlefield.
Meanwhile, Solora was still trying to get used to her new body. She found it very difficult to crawl around. The few times she tried, she bumped into the mansion walls and nearly killed someone.
For everyone's safety, he transferred her to the taming space, where she could practice her skills and get more accustomed to her new form.
After Solora, he didn't evolve any more beasts, choosing to save his shop points in case an emergency situation arose.
Just like that, a week passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, there was no attack from the members of the Flaming Rose or the demons.
However, they received news that the Kingdom of Imperia—one of the most powerful military nations—had successfully driven the demons out of their territory.
This piece of information caused quite a ripple in Cromwell Barony, and everyone wondered how they had done it.
It was later revealed that Imperia had achieved this with the help of an outside party—one that Nox had heard about a few times in the past.
The Lich Court.
Currently, in the meeting room, all the key figures were present, discussing their next course of action.
'So they're that powerful.' Nox thought, gently tapping his hand on the wooden table.
Of course, he knew Emerald getting rid of the portal back in the Demonic Empire had played a role as well. However, to drive out the entire demonic army from a kingdom twice the size of Vermilion was a feat not many could pull off.
"I wonder why they chose to interfere now," he mumbled aloud as he held his master's gaze. "What do you think could be their motive?"
Eve remained quiet for a while, a thoughtful expression on her face. She knew the reason they offered to help the Vermilion Kingdom was because they wanted something in return, but she couldn't say the same for Imperia.
Why would they help Imperia all of a sudden?
She thought long and hard, but nothing seemed to come to mind.
"They're honestly a very unpredictable bunch," she said after a moment.
"Why do you say that?" Hans asked.
"Because the Lich Court has a hand in the war... they've been helping the Flaming Rose for a long time," Nix responded.
It was information he had learned from Kira.
"Even the beast tide… they played a major role in that too," he continued, a glint of anger passing through his eyes. "What side are they really on?"
This was a question Nox didn't think would be answered anytime soon.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
The idea that the Lich Court had helped both sides of the war was… disturbing, to say the least.
"They helped the Flaming Rose, and now they helped Imperia?" Wendy narrowed her eyes. "That's like funding both the fire and the water."
Suddenly, before anyone could say more, a loud BOOM echoed from outside, and everyone simultaneously jumped to their feet.
"What was that?" Serana gasped, tense.
Another boom followed—this time, even closer.
Nox vanished from the room instantly, and the rest followed.
Outside, a strange ripple could be seen in the skies above Cromwell Barony.
Cracks shimmered across the sky like a mirror breaking apart.
From within the cracks, a blood-red portal slowly began to form, hovering hundreds of meters above the city.
It looked nothing like the usual demonic portals they were used to. This one radiated an aura of death.
Eve and Bridgett narrowed their eyes and exchanged a brief glance as they noticed the familiar aura.
Suddenly, a black coffin fell out of the portal and slammed into the ground in front of the castle gates, splitting the earth beneath it.
BOOM!
A cloud of dust rose into the air. Everyone instinctively took a step back.
"Don't touch it," Eve warned.
But before they could decide on anything, the lid of the coffin shifted and slowly began to creak open.
A black mist spilled out—and then a skeletal hand emerged, gripping the edge.
Out came a figure—tall, cloaked in black with glowing blue eyes deep within its hood.
"Ah… so this is the famed Cromwell Barony," the figure spoke in a raspy, almost mechanical voice. "How quaint."
Nox narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The figure chuckled. "You may call me... Envoy Xel'vorr, humble messenger of the Lich Court... You fit the description given by the Queen. Are you, by chance, Nox, son of Arthur Aegis Cromwell?"