MTLNOVEL Chapter 19: Slaying Ray, Albion
"Pitiful," Zar's lips curled in disdain. "Not once have you known true pain, have you? Sheltered and fed pills your whole life, how could you?"
Biting his bloody lips, Ray's gaze turned from pleading to filled with an indescribable level of hatred. "Y-You'll pay for this!!! Wh-When my family finds out that you not only killed me but interfered with a Trial Experiment, you'll be executed in the most excruciating of ways…!!!"
"Hmm?" Zar's interest rose. "That term again… A Trial. Why do you all keep mentioning a Trial? What Trial?"
"Ha! You think I'll tell you!?"
Even with all his limbs gone, Ray still had enough energy to scowl, and if he could, he'd spit at the little bastard before him.
"You'll die never knowing why you even died! You told me this, did you not, fucker!? Well, guess what, that is your fate as well!! No matter what sort of unheard-of genius you are, it doesn't matter!
You have no idea the forces at play here!! You think the Nascent Realm is enough to secure your life!?! Even the Soul Transformation and Deity Transformation Realms would not be enough!!!"
Zar frowned.
"Are you not going to willingly tell me what I want to know?"
"Of course not, you idiot—"
SPLAT!
"Then you're useless to me," Zar coldly uttered as he discarded the bloodied sword that melted due to energy overload. "I'm not confident in my torture methods, and it all seems like too much of a hassle, especially when I already cut off all your limbs. Your lifespan is far more valuable to me."
While in the process of walking away from the blood firework that was once a Nascent Soul Realm Therian, Zar paused. No System Notification came, prompting him to turn around, which was when he saw a tiny illusory person attempting to quietly sneak away.
A Nascent Soul!
And it looked like it might just get away!
However, that was when the first Unique Shadow Beast made its reappearance. It blurred beside the fleeing Nascent Soul and grabbed it, then blink-stepped over to its master. Presented in its long claw-like grasp was the squirming Nascent Soul of one Mr. Ray Lionheart.
Zar gave his Unique Shadow Beast an appreciative nod, then looked down at the Nascent Soul.
"Where do you think you're heading off to?" he inquired with a dangerous smile. "You have no hope of getting out of this encounter alive."
"Y-You better let me go…!" Ray spoke with a bad stutter, his face soaked in fear. "When… When my brothers and father hear of this, they won't give you a merciful death…!!"
Zar's disdain grew exponentially. "For someone hundreds of years old, you speak like a helpless child," he scowled. "Just die already."
As he went to raise his right hand to finish the job, true terror grabbed hold of Ray.
"Pl-Please wait!!" he cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'll tell you everything!! Everything I know!!!"
SHING…
Stopping less than a centimeter away from the head of Ray's Nascent Soul, Zar dispersed the Innate Energy contained inside his right hand. After which, he pinched the Nascent Soul, bringing him to eye level.
"You have five minutes," Zar said non-negotiably. "Summarize."
"Y-Yes, of course!"
Ray was just happy to still be alive, and with a misplaced smile, he explained all that he knew to Zar. By the end of the explanation, Zar was forced into a state of profound contemplation, with various emotions flashing past his expression.
"S-So you'll let me live—?"
SHA!
"ARGHHHH!!!"
"Of course not," replied Zar, his expression bereft of emotion. "It's not even about you killing me anymore; I just want your lifespan."
*Ding!*
[You have seized 325 years of Lifespan from Ray Lionheart (3rd Layer Nascent Soul)]
"Now that makes me happy," Zar said with a small smile. "As expected of someone in the Nascent Soul Realm. I've never even killed a Core Formation Realm existence before, so skipping straight to Nascent Soul naturally allotted me more than it normally would."
'As for what he told me,' Zar thought as his eyes gradually narrowed. 'The Trial Experiment Area #8777—that has been my home since birth. One experiment of many conducted by the Blazing-Sun Sect, one of the Great Sects of the Kingdom of Fire. Specifically, this place is under the jurisdiction of the Lionheart Family, a very powerful family that has many connections and relations with the Blazing-Sun Sect.'
Things were about to become very troublesome.
Looking toward the three Core Formation Realm Grandmasters, Zar's gaze glowed a deathly blue. And before they could plead for their lives, he slashed out with overwhelming lethal force, ending them in an instant.
*Ding!*
[You have seized 43 years of Lifespan from a Blazing-Sun Sect Therian (4th Layer Core Formation)]
[You have seized 48 years of Lifespan from a Blazing-Sun Sect Therian (5th Layer Core Formation)]
[You have seized 29 years of Lifespan from a Blazing-Sun Sect Therian (2nd Layer Core Formation)]
After acquiring over a hundred more years of lifespan, Zar shifted to the lean, shadowy humanoid figure staring at him with a more-alive gaze. This was his first Unique Shadow Beast. It had evolved from a swan-like Demon Beast, and though it possessed no human facial features, it was definitely more human than a normal Demon or Shadow Beast.
*Ding!*
[Would you like to name your first Unique Shadow Beast?]
"Yes," replied Zar, before going silent as he pondered potential names that suited the sleek and deadly-looking swan Shadow Beast.
'Water Turkey? White Bird? Milk Chocolate?? Hmm…'
As shown by his inner thoughts, Zar was extraordinarily bad when it came to names…
'Oh, I know!'
"Your name," he smirked. "Will be Albion!"
OOOM!
"Or Alby for short," Zar added while watching a bright white light envelop the swan Shadow Beast. "Ho? You liked the name so much that you powered up, huh?"
While the white light slowly subsided, various System Notifications rang out: