——My will is the entirety of Amidarl. Slaves, commoners, soldiers, ministers, offspring—all live by my grace, but it’s nothing more than clinging to a pitiful existence. If, in a moment of arrogance, they forget their place and try to point fingers at me, I’ll simply remove them.
As Molly’s voice echoed in his ears, Lumion also remembered the terror of that man—his father, Spartacus Amidarl, that flawless dictator, the absolute tyrant.
No wonder Molly didn’t believe his promises, because they were nothing but lies!
There was nothing in this world that could move that man. His weaknesses, his desires, no one understood them. He was always a plunderer, a conqueror; to hope for his grace was nothing but a fool’s dream.
“Isn’t that right, isn’t it, Your Highness Lumion? The look on your face right now is priceless!”
Lumion saw that Molly had already stepped away from him, a mocking smile on her lips. He raised a hand to his own face and found his fingers trembling. Was he…afraid?
“It was my oversight. It seems I cannot represent Amidarl and promise you anything. I can only speak for myself, Lumion Amidarl. Whatever I have, if you want it—anything except my life—take it.” Lumion took several deep breaths, reminding himself not to overthink things, forcing himself to calm down.
Everything he owned, all his wealth, could go to Molly. As a prince, he wasn’t so attached to money. As for power, Amidarl’s authority belonged to one person only: His Majesty the King. If Molly wanted to use him for something, she was destined to be disappointed.
Most important was his life! As long as he could survive, that was enough! He wanted to continue forward to that future, whether it be light or darkness!
“Why, Your Highness Lumion? Why not order me to fight? The moment you command it, I will unleash my full power and slaughter all villains who oppose you.” Samsara Heaven’s Prayer’s cold gaze never left Molly. Her murderous intent toward Molly was thick, but whether she acted depended on Lumion’s orders.
Molly was a massive threat. Samsara Heaven’s Prayer thought it necessary to eliminate her, yet Lumion insisted on compromise—that was what she couldn’t understand.
In terms of strength, she could kill Molly. This was the will of Number 004. This was the confidence of the superior.
“Wanna go at it? Hehe, Molly’s game!” Molly stood with hands on her hips, flashing white teeth, her face wearing a childlike, innocent smile.
“No!” Lumion turned and shouted angrily at Samsara Heaven’s Prayer. Receiving the order, she withdrew her aura and focused only on guarding Lumion.
She had no will of her own. All her actions followed her master’s command. That was the slave girl’s innate mission.
Being stared at by Samsara Heaven’s Prayer’s hollow eyes made Lumion uneasy, and he realized he was losing composure. He steadied himself and, without looking back, shouted loudly:
“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you! The conditions are the same as before! As long as you withdraw, I’ll definitely fulfill your request in my own name!”
“Eh? Still not giving up? Your Highness Lumion, you really are a boring man.” Molly pulled down the brim of her hat and muttered. She had truly underestimated Lumion.
To be this clever!
“Since we’ve come to this point, Molly doesn’t want to cause any more misunderstandings. Listen well, Your Highness Lumion: Molly’s main targets for this operation are the [Lord of Life and Death] and the two princes. So, there’s ab-so-lute-ly no chance I’ll give up.”
A gleam of brilliance flashed in Molly’s vertical pupils. Blood streaked her cheek, and a blue aura radiated from her whole body.
“Molly plans to use the two princes’ lives to exchange for the [Sea God]’s evolution. Molly will utterly destroy either the [Death God] or the [Goddess of Life] at the root. In the end, Molly will become the Pirate King!”
Catching Lumion’s shock, Molly couldn’t help but giggle. She lifted her chin with the back of her hand, closing one eye, the other eye shining with interest.
“Five years ago, why did Molly run away? For a slave girl to betray her master, normally that would be impossible, right?”
“Hey, you’re joking, right?! Just how much do you know?!” Lumion screamed, his face twisted. At this moment, he wanted to sew Molly’s mouth shut—those secrets she knew absolutely could not leak to the world!
“How much do I know? Of course I know enough to make Molly betray. Molly will never forget that she was meant to be the sacrifice to complete the [Sea God].”
Molly raised a finger to her lips, signaling for Lumion not to shout; it was hurting her ears.
“No matter how you think about it, it’s unbearable, right? Molly worked so hard to get to position Number 016, always obeyed, always did her best. Killed everyone you told her to kill, no matter what class of monster—covered in wounds, even lost limbs, but still had to press on! Molly really tried so hard to prove her value!”
Molly’s pupils contracted, her voice turning hoarse and low.
“All—of—that—was—useless. In the end, Molly was still going to be devoured by that hateful woman. Why? Molly was qualified to become the [Sea God] too! Molly carries the bloodline of the Sea Dragon Clan—that’s the ruler of the seas as well.”
“That’s because you harbored rebellious intentions!!!”
As Molly’s voice lowered, an abrupt change erupted. The shadow beneath Molly’s feet began to boil violently, twisting into countless forms, and then, in an instant, shot up as dense black spikes, transforming into a towering thicket of pitch-black grass.
Lumion saw Molly’s face twist in surprise, and in the next second she was engulfed by thick darkness, which burst out in a spray of blood mist.
She…was she killed?! Lumion looked toward the person who had just spoken—his elder brother, Arthur Amidarl.
“Hmph! You useless coward—only know how to wag your tail and beg. Traitorous servants must be executed. No need to waste words!”
Arthur responded to Lumion’s shock with a sneer. Standing beside him was the shadow spider, face pale, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Bent over, clutching her abdomen, yet her face wore that crazed, killer’s smile.
“It’s the Nether Demon Weaver?! She hasn’t lost consciousness! That’s a shadow?! I see, it was all calculated!” Lumion instantly understood Arthur’s plan upon seeing the shadow spider.
On Arthur’s signal, the shadow spider had feigned weakness, secretly looking for a chance to kill Molly. The shadow spider’s racial gift, “Weaver of Shadows,” included a power to kill enemies using shadows—[Shadow Bind Kill]. This skill, like the Inferno Laurel Spirit’s, required marking the target.
While Lumion was negotiating with Molly, the shadow spider split a part of its own shadow and merged it with Molly’s, marking her. In the end, she triggered the ability and killed Molly—this must be how things had unfolded.
Originally, he should have been relieved by Molly’s death, but Lumion couldn’t feel at ease.
Dripping water, flowing streams, waves slapping against the hull, the roar of the sea—he suddenly became acutely sensitive to these sounds.
Right now, he couldn’t hear Arthur’s sneering jabs at all. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as a sense of vigilance and anxiety gnawed at him.
Something’s not right?!
——What is true strength? Only by bullying the weak can you prove the worth of being strong. The weak are forever just the backdrop for the strong—nothing but stepping stones.
At that moment, Lumion recalled the words of that man from his memories—Amidarl’s king’s creed.
No—no, this is bad!
Lumion’s pupils contracted as he looked at the shadow creation that had imprisoned Molly. Water was seeping out of every crack!
“Yes~ Prince Arthur did splendidly, just like that~ Molly has no way out. Molly decided long ago to be Amidarl’s enemy.”
Just as Arthur noticed this anomaly, the shadow spider wailed, clutched her head, and collapsed, her limbs flailing for a moment before falling still. This time, she had truly lost consciousness.
“You—!” Arthur gnashed his teeth in hatred. He understood that Molly had not died because of his scheme—this was a massive blow to his pride!
The towering shadow construct began to collapse, cracks spreading and water gushing out faster and faster. Droplets scattered everywhere, and in no time, rain began to fall again inside the arena.
With a tearing sound, the shadows finally dispersed. Molly stepped out, completely unscathed. With a casual wave, all the scattered droplets gathered into her palm, forming a tiny sea-dragon of water.
Molly’s appearance was now completely different. She now had fin-like pointed ears, the vertical scarlet pupils of a beast, and a mouth full of serrated teeth. Combined with her delicate, lovely features, she now looked like some kind of sea demon.
Samsara Heaven’s Prayer stepped out from behind Lumion, blocking his front. Molly had already allowed her nonhuman bloodline to temporarily surpass her human one, entering a state of racial demonization. Her racial abilities would be greatly enhanced—at this point, even those at the diamond level might not be her match.
Even without Lumion’s command, Samsara Heaven’s Prayer understood: a battle between her and Molly was unavoidable.
“There’s no helping it, is there? Betrayal and such… the [Sea God]’s vessel was chosen as Number 008, that woman, and Molly was to be the sacrifice. After all the resistance, they took Molly’s mother. After all the obedience, now they want Molly’s life. Master, you really deserve to die!”