Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Ethan's POV

The beautiful but deadly frigid energy coalesced into a burst of power and together enveloped those invasive streams.

With a sudden flash of dark blue light that brightened the whole room, the battle ended. When the blinding glow subsided, I looked at my hand.

In my palm lay a small haphazard dark blue crystal that radiated a chilling energy that seemed to freeze the very air around it.

Tiny, snake-like streams of dark purple power swirled within the crystal but they gave an illusion of movement but were frozen in reality as if they were suspended in real time.

I examined the damage to my hand. Several of the mana veins of my right hand had burst and blood trickled from the injuries.

The clash of magic had left its mark but there was no time to waste as I knew t=it could leave lasting injuries if not treated immediately.

I touched my spatial ring with my left index finger and a small green bottle popped out of it into the air.

I caught it with my uninjured left hand and quickly removed the cork with my teeth. I tilted the bottle and allowed a single viscous drop of dark green liquid to fall onto my wound.

The moment the drop made contact with my right arm, a hiss of white smoke rose into the air which was accompanied by the sickening sound of sizzling flesh.

Pain shot through me like fire but I endured it silently. Within moments, the damaged mana veins began to heal and the miraculous substance repaired the injuries in the time I had anticipated.

"This poison dragon saliva," I muttered to myself, wincing slightly, "is truly incredible. Its healing properties are truly beyond belief."

As the pain subsided, I marveled at the paradoxical nature of the poison dragon. It was a creature feared for its deadly venom yet its saliva was capable of healing even the gravest injuries.

Master's claim about its miraculous power had been difficult to believe at first, but now as I held the small vial in my hand, I could only stand in awe of this magical world's wonders.

Looking up, I noticed Velcy staring at me with a mixture of shock and fear in her expression. I tapped the bottle lightly against my spatial ring and it vanished back into its storage.

With that done, I turned my attention back to Velcy. Her gaze was fixed on my hand and deep concern was etched on her face.

I smiled softly and reached out and took her hands in mine. I slowly guided them and let her touch my newly healed, baby-soft reddish-pink skin where the wound had been just now.

She trembled slightly as her fingers brushed against the spot with an almost too much gentleness. Her touch lingered in a hesitant yet careful manner as though she feared causing me further harm.

The worry in her eyes tugged at my heart but I soon shifted my focus and my expression grew serious as my gaze fell on the dark scars on her face.

These scars wouldn't be easy to heal. My eyes narrowed as I inspected the dark blue crystal in my hand, particularly the seemingly swirling malevolent sliver of purple stream within it.

This fragment of malicious energy was only a sliver of the force I had extracted from her scars yet it had caused significant damage to my mana veins. The thought made my jaw tighten.

If this small amount of energy could inflict such harm on me, it would likely obliterate the mana veins of a typical Elemental Sea realm expert.

That realization only deepened my resolve to uncover the truth behind these scars and their origin.

Thinking hard, a sudden idea struck me.

"The dagger!" I exclaimed abruptly, turning to Velcy with a spark of urgency in my voice. "Velcy, where did you find that dagger?"

She flinched at my sudden outburst and her body stiffened as confusion flickered in her pale blue eyes.

"Which dagger do you mean, Big Brother?" she asked hesitantly.

"The one you used to carve the scars on your face," I clarified as I leaned forward slightly. "It is a very important clue to me if I want to figure out how to cure your scars."

Velcy scratched her head and her brows furrowed in deep thought. I could see from her earnest expression that she was putting a lot of effort into trying to recall the details.

"Ah, I don't really remember how I got it, Big Brother," she admitted, her tone apologetic.

"I remember searching for a sharp object for a long time, but those evil people made sure there was nothing we could use to escape or harm ourselves."

She paused and her gaze grew distant as she pieced together fragmented memories.

"But… I do remember something now. Whenever we were taken out for our single meal in a day, I noticed it. It was stuck in a crack in the wall of my dark cell.

I remember it very clearly now. One night, when I had been resting my head against the wall to sleep, I had felt a strange hollow sensation beneath my head."

Her voice wavered slightly as she continued and her eyes glinted with the faint light of remembrance.

"Curious, I had tapped the wall with my hand. The rocks covering it had cracked apart and crumbled like the shell of an egg.

Inside, I found that dagger. I had consecutively used it to carve the scars on my face. But the pain… it was unbearable. I had passed out from it and when I woke up, the dagger was gone. It had vanished without a trace."

Her account left me both perplexed and amazed. A dagger with such ominous energy, appearing and disappearing so mysteriously.

From her account, I could conclude that it was no ordinary weapon. I needed more information on it.

It was most likely an evil weapon and not a regular one it seems.