MTLNOVEL Chapter 244: Becoming the Ruler VII
Time became an abstract concept as the battle raged on. The Beast Kings, fully aware of their dwindling vitality, channeled every fragment of their existence into the fray. Their attacks grew more ferocious, each strike a testament to their unwavering spirit.
In a synchronized effort, they launched a final assault:
Thauron leaped high, descending with claws aimed at Shubh's core.
Seraphina summoned a tempest, directing its full fury toward their foe.
Gorrath and Velrika attacked from opposing flanks, aiming to overwhelm her defenses.
Sylas tightened his constriction, attempting to immobilize her completely.
Faced with this orchestrated onslaught, Shubh unleashed a cataclysmic pulse of energy, repelling her assailants momentarily. However, the Beast Kings pressed on, undeterred by the mounting odds.
As the dust settled, the Prime Den stood in ruins, a testament to the ferocity of the battle. The Beast Kings lay motionless, their bodies reverting to their humanoid forms, expressions serene in eternal rest. They had chosen death over subjugation, leaving behind a legacy of valor and defiance.
Shubh, though victorious, bore the scars of the encounter. Her form flickered, energies destabilized, a rare glimpse of vulnerability. Yet, her resolve remained unbroken. She had conquered the unconquerable, but at a cost that resonated within the very core of her being.
The Beastman Continent, now leaderless, stood as a silent monument to the indomitable spirit of its fallen kings. Their choice to fight unto death rather than submit would be etched into history, a poignant reminder of the price of freedom and the depths of true courage.
"Haaah…" Shubh sighed as she sat on a nearby boulder. She had won—but the cost had not been light. Her body, usually impervious to pain, ached with wounds far deeper than flesh.
"These Beast War Forms… truly something else," she muttered, her voice raspy as inky-black blood seeped from the cracks in her skin. Each Beast King, when they activated their War Form, had elevated themselves from Tier VIII to Tier X—a terrifying power spike that had nearly cost Shubh her life. She had emerged victorious, yes… but far from unscathed.
She was drenched in blood—some theirs, some hers—and her body flickered with unstable energy as ancient glyphs pulsed faintly over her limbs. Her healing would take time.
From each fallen Beast King, something remained. Not just their corpses, but relics of essence—fangs, claws, fragments of bone or horn—each glowing faintly with lingering willpower. As if by unseen command, the pieces floated into the air and began to swirl, assembling themselves into a macabre crown, forged from the remnants of primal royalty.
It hovered in front of her—The Crown of the Beast Continent, forged from dominance, death, and shattered pride.
Shubh reached out with one trembling hand and took the crown, adding it to her collection, where it merged seamlessly with the others—Dragon, Elf, Fairy, Dwarf—each signifying a conquered land.
After resting for half an hour, letting eldritch energies mend her torn essence, she stood and walked among the corpses of the dead Beast Kings. Her crimson eyes flicked over each one with a cold, unreadable expression.
"You were great," she said softly. A rare admission of respect.
Then a fanged smile stretched across her lips.
"That's why… I won't leave you here to rot."
She raised her arms, and the skies above trembled. The space behind her split open, birthing a black glyph adorned with tendrils, spirals, and the mark of forbidden knowledge. Tentacles erupted from the void, extending downward like divine threads of fate.
"Eldritch Necromancy: Crownbound Rebirth."
Dark light spilled over the battlefield. The glyph pulsed once, and the corpses twitched. Bones snapped. Flesh tore. Something terrible stirred within them.
Where once lay noble kings of the Beast Tribes… abominations began to rise.
1. Thauron the Lion
Once a majestic sovereign of pride and honor, now re-emerged as a towering beast stitched together with obsidian flesh and glowing red veins. His mane had turned into writhing tendrils, constantly twitching like they were hunting. His mouth had split into four directions, forming a tooth-lined void that devoured even sound. His roar shattered stone and sanity alike.
2. Seraphina the Eagle
Her wings, once radiant and beautiful, had become great skeletal structures adorned with jagged, feather-like blades. Her eyes now glowed with an unnatural white light, and her song—formerly divine—was a chorus of maddening whispers that disoriented both friend and foe. Her talons could tear through dimensions, rending space as if it were fabric.
3. Gorrath the Bear
He returned as a mountainous behemoth made of black steel and meat. His skin was stitched with runes in a forgotten language. His fists no longer struck—they crushed mountains. When he slammed the ground, not just earth, but space fractured around him.
4. Sylas the Serpent
A mass of interwoven coils and twitching eyes. His body no longer slithered—it flowed like liquid shadow. His gaze, once cunning, now induced hallucinations. To look at him was to see your death a thousand times. He whispered to enemies… and their own bodies obeyed him instead of their minds.
5. Velrika the Tigress
Elegant even in corruption, she moved like an eldritch wind. Her stripes had become living ink, flowing across her body like calligraphy gone mad. She could appear behind you in an instant, and her claws left wounds not in flesh—but in souls. She was death that danced.
"The harvest is bountiful," Shubh mumbled as she observed her new creations. Despite their resurrection, the Beast Kings had retained their Tier X power—and now, they were bound wholly to her will.
"Remain hidden until I call you," she commanded.
At her word, they vanished like a fading smile—silent, swift, and swallowed by the shadows.
"Time to return to my beloved Master," Shubh whispered as she rose into the sky, her dark wings unfolding with a ripple of power. With a single beat, she launched herself into the air, heading toward her next destination:
The Human Continent.
On the next day, Shubh returned to Blue Wind City. The streets were alive with joy and laughter—the annual festival was in full swing. Colorful banners fluttered in the wind, children chased each other through the crowded lanes, and the scent of sweet treats filled the air.